Continued adventures of the wolf and the storm
by Salexhyraamilorquajyno
Summary: Rose and the Doctor continue their adventures as they draw ever closer to Bad Wolf bay.
1. Another alien christmas

Sorry it's taken so long to start the next season, I've had a lot going on. I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters.

The Doctor was running round the console as Rose watched on. Rose suddenly remembered that she should look scared but it's hard when she sees the way he's acting. The Doctor on the other hand was watching her carefully, there was still a difference between hearing about regeneration to actually experience it.

"Barcelona 5003, dogs with no noses." He runs around the console flying the TARDIS. "Now," he turns to her. "What do I look like?"

Rose opens her mouth to speak.

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor stops her. "Legs," he touches his legs. "Arms," touching arms. "Hands," he holds up. "Face," he touches before running his hands over his scalp. "Hair, I've got hair and sideburns and hang on I can feel a mole. Great, love the mole." The Doctor grins at her as he moves closer. "So go on, how do I look?"

Rose was left speechless, until she sees the Doctors face start to fall. Grabbing his jacket, she pulls him to her and snogs him.

Every concern the Doctor had about her not accepting the new him was wiped from his mind as he comes to his sense and realises that she's snogging him. He does the only thing he can think of doing, he snogs her back.

Rose feels herself stumbling backwards and feels a coral strut at her back. The Doctor pushes closer to her while she wraps her legs around his waist. Before they get too far into each other the Doctor pushes back suddenly then starts gagging.

Rose disengages from the Doctor as he stumbles backwards and falls on his knees gagging. The Doctor jumps up suddenly with a manic grin and runs back to the console. "Forget Barcelona go, Powell estate, December 24th, 2006. An early Christmas present."

"Doctor," Rose calls.

The Doctor looks at her and reason returns. "The regenerations gone a bit wrong. I can't stop," he gags again then jumps back up even more manic than before. He spots a lever then, "oh, I haven't used this one in years." He pulls it and the TARDIS lurches suddenly.

Rose can feel the TARDIS moving at incredible speed as the Doctor urges her on. All Rose can do is hold on for dear life.

Rose was wondering why she can now feel the TARDIS more keenly. Even in the previous timeline she couldn't. **Cause**, Bad Wolf explained, **I've been helping you which means almost constant contact. It also means more contact with the vortex so you've absorbed more.**

Rose feels it when the TARDIS pops out of the time vortex. She feels it when the TARDIS hits first one building then another, then a third building before narrowly missing what sounds like a van before sliding to a stop. Rose was just picking herself up when she sees the Doctor running for the doors.

The Doctor, realising they landed jumps up and runs to the doors to poke his head out. "Here we are then, London, Earth, the solar system. I did it," he leaves the TARDIS and spots Jackie and Mickey standing in front of him. "Jackie, Mickey blimey. No, no, no hold on." The Doctor walks around them. "What was I going to say? There was something I had to tell you. Something important, what was it," he grabs both their shoulders," no, hold on. Shh, shh, shh, shh. Oh, I know, merry Christmas." Mickey catches the Doctor as he collapses.

Rose finally manages to get to her feet and races to the door to poke her head out. She sees the Doctor collapsed on the ground with her mother and Mickey leaning over him. "What happened, is he alright?"

"I don't know he just keeled over," Mickey replies. "But who is he, where's the Doctor?"

"That's him," Rose replies as she bends down to check on him. "Right in front of you, that's the Doctor."

"What do ya mean, that's the Doctor?" Jackie asks. "Doctor Who?"

Rose and Mickey carefully carried the Doctor upstairs and into the flat where they placed him on Roses bed. Rose watches over the Doctor while her mother runs to a neighbours house to grab something.

Her mum comes back with a stethoscope. "Here we go. Tina the cleaners got this lodger, a medical student and she was fast asleep so I just took it. I still say we should take him to hospital."

Rose puts the ear pieces in her ears. "We can't, they'd lock him up. They'd dissect him, one bottle of his blood could change the history of the human race." Her mother goes to say something and Rose shushes her as she uses the stethoscope to listen to both hearts. "Both working."

"What do ya mean, both?" Her mother asks.

"He's got two hearts," Rose replies.

"Oh, don't be stupid," her mother scoffs.

Rose ushers her mother out of the room. "He has."

"Anything else he's got two off?" Her mother questions.

Rose rolls her eyes as she closes the door once her mother leaves. "Leave him alone."

They miss the breathe the Doctor takes and the gold dust cloud that escapes The Doctors mouth as he breathes out.

Rose heads to the kitchen while she tries to remember what happened last time. **Sorry Rose**, Bad Wolf stats. **You can't remember too early. Well that would be why she can't remember.**

Her mum follows her to the kitchen. "How can he go changing his face? Is that a different face or is he a different person?"

"He's the same person mum," Rose tries to assure her. "Different outside but the same on the inside. He's not human mum," Rose reminds her. "The big question is, where did you get a pair of men's pyjamas from?"

Jackie sighs. "Howard's been staying over."

"What Howard from the market?" Rose questions. "How longs that been going on?"

"A month or so," Jackie shrugs. "First of all he starts delivering to the door and I thought, that's odd, next thing you know it's a bag of oranges."

She needs to stop her mother or she'd go on and on. Rose looks to the telly and sees a distraction. "Is that Harriet Jones?" Rose interrupts.

"Oh," Jackie mutters. "Never mind me."

Rose walks towards the telly. "Whys she on the telly?"

"She's prime minister now," Jackie answers. "I'm 18 quid a week better off. There calling it Britains golden age, keep on saying my Rose has meet her."

"Did more than that," Rose grins. "Stopped world war three with her. Harriet Jones."

"Prime minister, what about those calling the Guinevere one space probe a waste of money?" A reporter calls.

"Now that's where your wrong," Harriet replies. "I completely disagree if you don't mind. Guinevere one space probe represents this countries limitless ambitions. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."

Rose laughs quietly, still as polite as ever.

Someone else comes on then. This is Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age and that is what we're achieving 50 million miles away. Our very own miracle.

The unmanned probe Guinevere one is about to make its final descent. A reporter explained. Photographs of the Martian landscape should be received by midnight tonight.

After the news had finished Jackie urges Rose to go Christmas shopping with Mickey. "I'll look after him," Jackie assures Rose.

So after kissing the Doctor on his forehead she heads out Christmas shopping.

"20 quid," Mickey hands over.

"Do ya mind?" Rose questions. "I'll pay ya back."

Mickey shrugs. "Call it a Christmas present."

"God," Rose comments. "You just forget about Christmas and things in the TARDIS."

"Oh go on, Rose tell us another one cause I swear I could listen to it all day. TARDIS this, TARDIS that." Mickey complains.

Rose laughs, "shut up."

"Oh and one time," Mickey continues, "the TARDIS landed in a big yellow garden."

"I'm not like that," Rose insists.

"You are, you so are," Mickey counters.

"Must drive you mad," Rose jokes.

"But that's the thing isn't it," Mickey stats. "You can rely on me. I don't go changing my face."

"He'll be alright Mickey," Rose insists.

"Okay," Mickey stops her. "Just let it be Christmas could you do that?"

"Okay," Rose agrees.

"Promise," Mickey insists.

"Yes," Rose rolls her eyes.

"Ok, so what ya gonna get your mum?" Mickey asks.

Rose tunes him out as she notices the brass band dressed up as Santa. Something else Bad Wolf made her forget as they moved closer. Suddenly the trumpet threw flames and Rose grabbed mickeys arm. The rest fired bullets as Rose and Mickey ran.

"It's us," Rose realises. "There after us."

"What's going on?" Mickey asks as they run. "What have we done wrong? Why would they be after us?"

"Taxi," Rose yells. As soon as the taxi stops Mickey and Rose jump in. "There after the Doctor."

"I can't even go shopping with you and we get attacked by a brass band," Mickey complains.

Rose pulls out her phone and dials her mum.

"Who ya phoning?" Mickey asks.

"My mum," Rose answers.

The phone just keeps ringing and ringing. "Get off the phone." Rose cries frustrated.

"Who were those Santa things?" Mickey asks.

Rose ignores the question. "But think about it," Rose hints. "They were after us, what's important about us. Nothing except the one thing we've got tucked up in bed. The Doctor."

Rose and Mickey jump out of the taxi and run all the way to the flat. "Get off the phone," Rose cries as she barges through the door. "Get off the phone."

"It's only Bev," Jackie answers confused. "She says hello."

Rose grabs the phone off her mum. "Bev, yeah look it'll have to wait." Rose hangs up and turns to her mother. "Right, it's not safe, we've got to get out. Where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up," Mickey points out.

Rose shakes her head. "That's only two streets away. "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I don't know," Jackie replies. "Peak District."

"Well we'll go to cousin Mo's then," Rose suggests.

"Oh, it's Christmas Eve," Jackie complains. "We're not going anywhere. What are you babbling about?"

"Mum," Rose starts only to see the Christmas tree. "Where did you get that tree?" In all the problems with robot santas Rose had forgotten about the tree.

"I thought it was you?" Jackie questions.

"How can it be me?" Rose counters.

"Well, you went shopping," Jackie explains. "There was a ring at the door and there it was."

"No that wasn't me," Rose replies as she starts to move her mother away from the tree.

"Then who was it?" Jackie asks fearfully.

The lights on the tree suddenly light up.

"Oh your kidding me," Rose sighs.

Jiggle bell music starts to play as the branches start spinning. It begins to move closer to them as they move back, destroying anything in its path.

"Go," Mickey yells. "Get out." As he holds up a wooden chair to fend the tree off.

Rose and Jackie run down the hall. Rose runs into her room as Jackie runs to the front door.

"We've got to save the Doctor," Rose yells.

"What are ya doing?" Jackie questions.

"We can't just leave him," Rose answers.

"Mickey," Jackie yells as she waits in Roses bedroom door. "Mickey get out, get out."

"Mickey," Rose calls.

Mickey who finally realises the tree won't be stopped throws what's left of the chair at the tree and runs into Roses room to help with the Doctor.

"No leave him," Jackie cries. "Just leave him."

"Get in," Mickey calls. Mickey closes the door and he and Jackie moves a wardrobe in front of the door.

Rose runs to the bed. "Doctor wake up," she calls.

She grabs the sonic screwdriver from the pocket of his jacket and runs back to the Doctor placing it into his hand. She falls back as the tree makes its way into the room.

"I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree," Jackie cries.

Rose leans down and whispers in the Doctors ear, "help me."

The Doctor sits up suddenly and points his sonic screwdriver at the tree. Pushing down on the button the tree blows up.

"Remote control," the Doctor realises. "But who's controlling it?" The Doctor grabs a dressing gown that's lying on the end of the bed and puts it on as he heads out the door and looks over the balcony to see three figures dressed in Santa costumes.

"That's them," Mickey informs the Doctor. "What are they?"

"Shh," Rose quiets him.

The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at them and the figures move together before teleporting away.

"They've just gone," Mickey scoffs. "What kind of rubbish were they, I mean no offence but there not much cop if a sonic screwdrivers gonna scare them off."

Now the Doctor knows their in trouble. "Pilot fish, they were just pilot fish." The Doctor falls backwards as pain hits him.

Rose rushes to grab him. "What's wrong?"

"You woke me up to soon," he explains. "I'm still regenerating, I'm bursting with energy," he breathes out a gold gas cloud. "See, the pilot fish could smell it, million miles away. They eliminate the defence, that's you lot and they carry me off. They could run there batteries off me for a couple of years." He finishes as another burst of pain runs through him and he lands on the balcony railing.

"Oh, oh, oh," Jackie cries as she catches the Doctor.

"My head," the Doctor cries in agony. "I'm having a neural implosion I need."

"What do ya need?" Jackie starts panicking.

"I need," the Doctor tries again.

"Just say it, tell me, tell me, tell me," Jackie interrupts.

"I need," he tries again.

"Painkillers," Jackie starts guessing, "aspirin, codeine, paracetamol, oh I don't know, pepto bisamol, liquid paraffin."

"I need," he starts.

"Vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E." Jackie interrupts.

"I need," he tries frustrated.

"Is it food? Something simple, bowl of soup, nice bowl of soup. Soup and a sandwich, soup and a little ham sandwich." She panics.

"I need you to shut up," the Doctor finally gets out.

Jackie calms down slightly. "Oh, he hasn't changed that much."

Another burst of energy sends him back over to Rose. "We haven't got much time, if there's pilot fish then," he feels something in his dressing gown. "Whys there an apple in my dressing gown?" He pulls out.

Jackie looks sheepish, "oh, that's Howard. Sorry."

The Doctor stares at her confused. "He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry," Jackie explains.

"What he gets hungry in his sleep?" The Doctor continues.

"Sometimes," Jackie confirms.

The Doctor drops the apple suddenly as another burst of pain goes through him. He won't be able to stay awake much longer but he needs to warn Rose. "Brain collapsing." He grabs Roses hand and stares into her eyes. "The pilot fish," he emphasis. "The pilot fish mean, something's, something's coming," he finally gets out as he collapses in Roses arms.

Rose and Mickey carry the Doctor back to bed and Rose grabs a bowl of water and a cloth. She starts wiping his face as he develops a fever.

She sees Mickey enter as he stares at them sadly before moving onto the lounge. "Jackie, I'm using the phone line, is that alright?" She hears Mickey ask.

"Yeah, keep account of it," Jackie replies as she takes a cuppa to Rose. "It's midnight, Christmas Day. Any change?"

Rose follows her mum back out to the lounge. "He's worse, just one heart beaten." Rose has been trying to get Bad Wolf to tell her what he needs but she refuses.

The news is still on in the background as Rose waits for Mickey to log onto the Internet.

"Here we go, pilot fish," Mickey stats. Rose moves to join him at the laptop. "Scavengers like the Doctor said. Harmless, there tiny but the point is the little fish swim along side the big fish."

"You mean like sharks?" Rose clarifies.

"Great big sharks," Mickey confirms. "So what the Doctor means is we had them now we get that."

Rose moves back a bit as an animation of a shark appears on the laptop screen. "Something is coming," Rose repeats. "How close?"

"There's no way of knowing," Mickey replies. "But the pilot fish don't swim far from the daddy."

"So it's close," Rose finishes.

"Funny sort of rocks," Rose hears her mum complain.

Looking at the telly Rose sees a face, "that's not rocks." She informs them. The thing on the telly roars suddenly and they all jump back in fright. Rose had seen it before and it still scared her.

The telly is now buzzing with news of an alien life form as Rose moves to sit on the bed and watch over the Doctor.

"Rose," Mickey calls.

Rose leaves the Doctors side to watch what Mickeys doing on the laptop.

"Take a look, I've got access to the military." Mickey gloats. "Their tracking the space ship, it's big, it's fast and it's coming this way."

"Coming for us?" Rose hints.

"I don't know," Mickey shrugs, "possibly."

The alien shows up on the laptop screen. It starts speaking yet Rose can't seem to understand them.

"Have you seen them before?" Mickey asks.

Rose shakes her head. "No, I don't understand what there saying. The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head all the time, wherever I am."

"So why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey questions.

"It's the Doctor, like he's part of the circuit and he's broken." She explained. **Sorry Rose, I've blocked your connection to the TARDIS.**

Rose frowned as she walks back into the room and crawls into the bed beside the Doctor, she snuggles up to him as her mother watches from the doorway. Rose wakes up as the sun starts to rise and gets up to change. She hears her neighbour calling so she and Mickey head out to investigate.

"Sandra," Rose calls.

"He won't listen," she cries. "He's just walking, he won't stop walking. It's this sort of light thing."

Rose looks over the balcony to see hundreds more people with the same blue light. They follow them to the roof where the people stop on the edge.

"What do we do?" Mickey asks as he looks around at everyone.

"The Doctor will help," Rose assured him.

Rose heads back to the flat and stands in the doorway of her bedroom as she watches the news on the telly. She hears Harriet call out to the Doctor as she turns to watch him.

"You really love him, don't you?" Her mum asks.

Rose nods her head as she insists, "he will come right. I know he will."

Her mum gives her a sympathetic look as she hugs her. Jackie thinks Rose is kidding herself cause the Doctors only getting worse.

A loud booming noise is heard as the windows shatter. Running outside they look up to the sky as the spaceship enters the atmosphere. The spaceship, shaped like a floating rock, stops over the middle of London.

Rose runs back inside followed by her mother and Mickey. "Mickey," Rose calls. "We're gonna carry him. Mum come on, we're going." Rose calls as she places the Doctors dressing gown on.

"Where to?" Mickey questions.

"The TARDIS," Rose answers. "It's the only safe place on earth."

"What we gonna do in there?" Jackie questions.

"Hide," Rose replies.

"Is that it?" Jackie scoffs.

"Mum, look in the sky," Rose insists. "There's a great big alien invasion and I don't know how to wake him. Now all we can do is run and hide and I'm sorry, now move."

Mickey helps Rose carry the Doctor while her mum starts piling food into bags. They carry him out and down the stairs while her mum struggles with bags of food.

"Mum," Rose cries. "Will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand."

"I thought we might need food," Jackie stats defensively.

"Just leave it," Rose cries.

Rose and Mickey finally make it to the TARDIS and Rose manages to open the doors so they can carry him in. They place the Doctor on the grating by the console as Jackie follows them in.

"No chance you can fly this thing?" Mickey asks.

"Not any more, no," Rose responds.

"Well you did it before?" Mickey questions.

"Yeah I know," Rose agrees, "but it's been wiped outta my head. The Doctor had been teaching me but I've never flown her by myself. Try it and I could have the universe ripped in half."

"Aah, better not then," Mickey stats.

Rose sits on the grating next to the Doctor. "Maybe not."

"So what do we do, just sit here," Mickey suggests.

"That's as good as it gets," Rose responds sarcastically.

"Right," her mother interrupts. "Here we go, nice cup of tea."

"Oh," Rose responds. "The solution to everything."

"Now stop ya moaning," Jackie warns. "I'll get the rest of the food." Jackie runs out the doors.

"Tea," Mickey complains. "Like we're having a picnic while the worlds coming to an end." Mickey notices the monitor. "How does this thing work? Cause it picks up TV maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?" Mickey pushes a button and a bleeping noise starts.

"I don't know," Rose mutters. "It sort of tunes itself."

Rose can feel Bad Wolf stirring, **pour a cup of tea in the circuits next to the Doctors head.**

Rose grabs the flask off Mickey and pours a cup full before walking over and sitting next to the Doctor again. She discreetly pours the tea next to the Doctors head and sees a cloud of vapour rising.

"Maybe the bleeping is a distress signal," Mickey suggests.

"Maybe," Rose agrees.

"And where stuck in here with your mums cooking," Mickey complains.

Rose suddenly realised she's not there. "Where is she? I better give her a hand, it might start raining missiles out there."

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine," Mickey yells.

"Why don't you tell her yourself," Rose suggests.

"I'm not that brave," Mickey remarks.

"You will be one day," Rose grins back.

She walks out before remembering what happened next. She lets a small scream out as a Sycorax grabs her from behind. She sees Mickey run out after her.

"Get off, get off me," she sees Mickey standing in front of the open door of the TARDIS. "Shut the door," she yells.

Mickey runs back and manages to shut the doors just before another Sycorax grabs him.

Rose and Mickey are escorted to where Harriet is waiting. "Rose, I've got you, my lord oh my precious thing." Rose is shoved into Harriet's arms. "The Doctor, is he with you?"

"He will be soon," Rose assures her.

The leader starts speaking in his native language while Harriet's assistant Alex interprets. "The yellow girl, she has the clever blue box therefor she speaks for your planet.

"But she can't," Harriet argues.

"Yeah, I can," Rose responds.

"Don't you dare," Mickey warns.

"Someone's got to be the Doctor," Rose responds.

Harriet grabs her arm. "They'll kill you."

Rose brushes her off. "Never stopped him."

Rose looks around at the Sycorax. "I would give you a big speech about leaving this planet but I'm just gonna give you a warning. Inside that box is a man with the biggest gob I know. He can send armies running from him in terror so I'm giving you a warning, leave or he'd make you leave."

The Sycorax stare at her stunned before the leader followed by every other Sycorax starts laughing at her. "You are very, very funny. And now your going to die."

"Leave her alone," Harriet demands.

"Don't touch her," Mickey yells at the same time.

The leader continues to speak as Alex translates. "Did you think you were clever, trying to scare us off. We are the Sycorax, we live inside the darkness. Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion then your world will be gutted and your people enslaved." The leader finishes in English.

Rose starts grinning as she realises what that means.

"Hold on, that's English," Alex realises.

"He's talking English," Harriet exclaimed.

"Your talking English," Rose gloats.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile," the leader spits out.

"That's English," Rose insists. "Can you hear English?" Rose asks the others.

"Yeah, that's English," Mickey agrees.

"Definitely english," Alex concurs.

"I speak only sycoraxic," the leader yells.

Roses grin broadens. "If I can hear English then it's being translated, which means it's working which means," she turns to look at the TARDIS as everyone else does the same.

The doors open and Rose sees the Doctor standing there. "Did you miss me?" The leader uses his whip on the Doctor who closes the TARDIS doors and grabs the whip mid air and pulls it out of the leaders hand. "You'll take someone's eye out with that," the Doctor complains. He walks up to the leader as he holds his staff over his head. The Doctor grabs the staff out of the leaders hand and snaps it over his knee. "Just can't get the staff, now you just wait," the Doctor orders him. "I'm busy." He turns back to look at the others. "Mickey hello, and Harriet Jones, MP for Fly Dale North. Blimey it's like this is your life." He walks back up to Rose. "Tea that's all I needed, good cup of tea. Super heated infusion of free radicals and tannin just the thing for heating the synapses." He turns serious suddenly. "Now, first things first, be honest. How do I look?"

Rose decides to tease him. "Different."

The Doctor sees the teasing in her eyes and grins, "good different or bad different?"

"It's hard to say," Rose teases. "Just different."

"Am I ginger?" He asks seriously.

Rose rolls her eyes. "No, your just brown."

"Oh, I wanted to be ginger," the Doctor whined. "I've never been ginger before and you Rose Tyler," the Doctor turns suddenly to pointed at her. "You never gave up on me. Oh, that's rude, is that what I am now, rude. Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry who is this?" Harriet questions Rose.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor tells them.

"He's the Doctor," Rose assures her as the Doctor grins at her.

"But what happened to my Doctor?" Harriet exclaimed. "Or is it just a title that's passed on?"

"I'm him," the Doctor assures her. "I'm literally him, same man new face, well new everything."

"But you can't be," Harriet tries to deny.

"Harriet Jones," the Doctor stated. "We were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

The Doctor sees when she finally accepts that it's him. "Oh my god."

"Did you win the election?" He grins at her.

"Landslide majority," Harriet grins back.

"If I might interrupt," the leader was sick of being ignored.

The Doctor turns back to him. "Yes, sorry. Hello big fella."

"Who exactly are you?" The leader asks.

"Well that's the question," the Doctor grins at him.

The leaders anger rises. "I demand to know who you are?"

The Doctor loses his grin. "I don't know," the Doctor mimics the leaders voice. "See that's the thing, I'm the Doctor but beyond that I just don't know, I literally do not know who I am." He starts walking slowly back towards the leader, "it's all untested. Am I funny, am I sarcastic, sexy," he winks at Rose and grins broadly when he sees her blush. "Wild misery, life and soul, right handed, left handed, a gambler, a fighter, a coward, a traitor, a liar, a nervous wreck. I mean judging by the evidence I've certainly got a gob," then he notices the big red button. "And how am I going to react when I see this." He points to the big red button. "A great big threatening button." He moves to stand behind the button as everyone else moves so they can still see him. "A great big threatening button, which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess it's some kind of control matrix, hmm. Hold on what's feeding it," the Doctor bends down and opens a panel. "Well what have we got here?" He dips his finger in the liquid. "Blood?" He questions as he tastes the amount on his finger.

Rose screws up her nose, **I hope he washes his mouth out before you kiss him again.** Bad Wolf comments.

"Yeah definitely blood, human blood, A positive with just a dash of iron." He makes a disgusted face as he wipes his finger on his robe. "But that means, blood control, blood control." He stats happily. "I haven't seen blood control for years. Your controlling all the A positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem, cause I really don't know who I am, I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button, which should never, ever, ever be pressed then I just want to do this," he slams his hand down on the button.

"No," everyone but Rose yells.

"You killed them," Alex cried.

The Doctor turns to the leader. "What do you think big fella. Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live," he stats.

"Allow," the Doctor scoffed. "You have no choice. See that's all blood control is, cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants offa you but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis, you can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotise them to death," the Doctor explained. "Survival instincts to strong."

"Blood control was one form of conquest, I could summon the armada and take this world by force." The leader cries.

"Well, yeah you could," the Doctor agreed. "Yeah course you could but why, look at these people. These human beings, consider their potential. From the day they arrive on a planet, blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do then. No," he cuts himself off. "Hold on, sorry that's the lion king, but the point still stands. Leave them alone."

"Or what," the leader challengers.

"Or," the Doctor grabbed a sword of a nearby Sycorax a runs down to stand in front of the TARDIS. "I challenge you."

The leader and all other Sycorax start laughing as he moves down to face the Doctor.

The Doctor looks around. "Oh, that struck a cord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

The leader draws his own sword. "You stand as this worlds champion?"

"Thank you," the Doctor takes of his dressing gown. "I've got no idea who I am, but you've just summed me up." He throws his dressing gown to Rose who catches it and gives him her special grin. "So you accept my challenge or are you just a calic pelka saca creselvic."

The leader hisses at him as they both hold up their swords. Then kneel with the points facing down.

"For the planet," the leader stats.

"For the planet," the Doctor agrees.

They stand there ready to fight as worry runs through Roses mind. Their swords clash and Rose clutches the dressing gown much tighter. The leader laughs as the Doctor stumbles before they clash once again.

The Doctor ducks as the leader swings at him. "Look out," Rose can't help but call out.

"Oh yeah that helps," the Doctor responds sarcastically. "I wouldn't of thought that otherwise, thanks."

Rose rolls her eyes, **definitely rude,** Bad Wolf comments.

They clash again and the leader manages to hit the Doctor in the stomach with his elbow. The Doctor staggers back while he dodges the swings made by the leader. He notices a button on the wall. "A bit of fresh air," he stats as he pushes the button and runs through to find himself standing on the wing of the spaceship.

The leader follows him and they clash again while Rose and the others follow with a few of the Sycorax.

They continue clashing till the leader manages to knock the Doctor in the nose, Rose moves to help. "Stay back," the Doctor warns. "Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."

The leader comes at him again and managers to knock the Doctor over, before slicing off the Doctors right hand holding the sword. Both hand and sword fall to earth.

"You cut of my hand," the Doctor stats. The leader starts celebrating as the Doctor stands up. "And now I know what sort of man I am, I'm lucky cause quiet by chance I'm still within 15 hours of my regeneration cycle which means I've got just enough cellular residual energy to do this." They all watch as his hand grows back.

"Witch craft," the leader stats.

"Time lord," the Doctor tells him.

Rose grabs a sword from a nearby Sycorax. "Doctor," she calls as she throws him the sword.

"Rose, so I'm still the Doctor then?" He asks.

"No arguments from me," Rose agrees.

The Doctors hearts lift as he hears that. He swings the sword around, "you want to know the best bit? This new hand, it's a fighten hand." The Doctor finishes in a terrible American accent.

They clash once more and this time the Doctors put the leader on the defence. The Doctor managers to take the sword off the leader and hits him in the stomach with the hilt of his own sword. The leader falls to the ground.

"I win," the Doctor stats.

"Then kill me," the leader demands.

"I'll spare your life if you take this champions command. Leave this planet and never return," the Doctor offers. "What do you say?"

"Yes," the leader agrees.

The Doctor thrusts the sword closer to him. "Swear on the blood of your species."

"I swear," the leader vows.

"Well there we are then, thanks for that," the Doctor places the sword in the wing. "Cheers for that big fella."

"Bravo," Harriet calls.

"That says it all," Rose agrees as she helps the Doctor into his dressing gown. "Bravo."

The Doctor grins at her. "Not bad for a man in his jim jams. Very Arthur Dent, now there was a nice man," the Doctor places his hands in the pockets. "Hold on, what have I got in here," he pulls out another fruit. "A satsuma, ah that friend of your mothers he does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas, you go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma," the Doctor hears the leader get up and charge at them. He throws the satsuma at a button on the outta wall and they hear the leader fall to earth. "No second chances, I'm that sort of man." He doesn't mind when they come after him, but he won't let anyone put Rose in harms way.

They all renter the spaceship and move to stand in front of the TARDIS.

The Doctor turns to face the rest of the Sycorax. "By the ancient rights of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, it's people, then make sure you tell them this. It is defended."

All of them plus the TARDIS are teleported back to earth as the Sycorax prepare to depart.

"Where are we?" Rose questions.

"We're just of Bloxem road, we're just round the corner. We did it," Mickey starts jumping.

"Wait a minute, wait," the Doctor warns.

They watch as the ship leaves the earths atmosphere.

"Go on my son," Mickey yells. "It is defended."

Rose runs up and hugs Alex in her excitement before turning back to the Doctor.

Harriet walks up to the Doctor. "My Doctor."

"Prime Minister," the Doctor greets. The Doctor hugs her as they celebrate.

"Absolutely the same man," Harriet exclaims. "Are there many more out there?"

"Oh, not just Sycorax," the Doctor agrees. "Hundreds of species, thousands of them, and the human race is drawing attention to itself. Everyday your sending out probes, messages and signals, this planets so noisy. Your getting noticed, more and more. You better get use to it?"

"Rose," the Doctor hears Jackie calling.

"Mum," Rose cries.

"Oh, here's trouble," the Doctor comments as he moves to stand in front of Jackie.

"Oh my god," Jackie yells as she hugs Rose.

"He did it mum," Rose answers. "You did it to, it was the tea."

"That's all I needed," the Doctor grinned. "A cup of tea."

"I said so," Jackie gloats. "Is it him though? Is it really the Doctor?" Jackie finally notices who else is with them. "Oh my, it's the bleedin prime minister."

"Come here you," the Doctor lifts his arms and hugs Jackie as Rose and Mickey hug them as well.

A green beam suddenly appears in the sky, followed by four more. They met in the middle then a larger beam shots up from the joining point and destroys the Sycorax ship.

Rose stares on horrified, she was so caught up in celebrating she forgot about this part.

The Doctor turns to face Harriet with anger. His anger increases when he feels Roses guilt through their connection. "That was murder."

"That was defence," Harriet insists. "It's adapted from alien technology, a ship that fell to earth 10 years ago."

"But they were leaving," the Doctor spat in disgust.

"You said it yourself, Doctor," Harriet tried to reason. "They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the earth. I'm sorry Doctor but your not here all the time, you come and go. It happened today, Mr Luwellen and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case we have to defend ourselves."

"Britain's golden age," the Doctor stats angrily.

"It comes with a price," Harriet continues.

"I gave them the wrong warning," the Doctor realised. " I should've told them to run, as fast as they can. Run and hide cause the monsters are coming, the human race."

"Those are the people I represent," Harriet insists. "I did it on their behalf."

"And I should've stopped you," the Doctor ground out.

"What does that make you, Doctor?" Harriet questions. "Another alien threat?"

The Doctor moves closer to her. "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, cause I'm a completely new man. I can bring down your government with a single word."

"Your the most remarkable man I've ever met," Harriet agreed. "But I don't think your quiet capable of that."

"No your right," the Doctor agreed. "Not a single word, just six."

"I don't think so," Harriet scoffs.

"Six words," the Doctor taunts.

"Stop it," Harriet demands.

"Six." The Doctor stats as he moves to Alex, takes of his blue tooth headset and leans close to his ear. "Don't you think she looks tired?"

Alex looks at him confused as they move off. Leaving Harriet yelling behind them.

Rose follows her mum to the flat to help with dinner while the Doctor moves the TARDIS to her usually spot next to the Powell estate. He then heads to the wardrobe room to find something to wear.

His thoughts wander to Rose and what she really thinks of his new look. He wants to find something that she would like, something to reflect the person that she changed him into.

Rose, her mum and Mickey are setting the table while they wait on the Doctor.

The Doctor finally notices a brown suit with a light blue shirt. Picking it up he knows Rose will like it. He then notices a brown trench coat which would be perfect with it. Putting them on he adds a tie, then sees a pair of trainers poking out of a pile of clothes. Placing them on he checks his face again to make sure it was smooth before heading to Roses flat.

Rose looks to the front door as the Doctor closes it behind him. She looks him up and down before noticing his grin. She blushes when she realises what she's doing.

The Doctor, liking the response he got from Rose sits down and enjoys the meal. Well the meal itself is ok, but this is the first time since even before he lost his people that's he's felt apart of a family and he has Rose to thank for that.

Later the news starts on the telly with Harriet on, "look it's Harriet Jones," Rose points out.

"Prime minister is it true, your no longer fit for office? One reporter asks.

"No, now can we talk about other things, Harriet insists.

The Doctor moves towards the telly as he puts some glasses on. Rose watches him as she tunes out the telly. He really does look cute in those glasses. **I agree**, Bad Wolf pipes up.

That's when Jackie and Mickey see how much Rose loves the Doctor.

The phone rings startling Rose out of her thoughts. "It's Bev," Jackie tells everyone. "She says go and look outside. Come on shift."

The Doctor takes off his glasses as he follows everyone outside. They stop near the TARDIS as Rose sees the ash from the spaceship. Everyone else thinking it's snow.

"It's the spaceship," the Doctor explained. "Breaking up in the atmosphere, this isn't snow, it's ash. This is a brand new planet earth, no denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it, everything's new."

"And what about you?" Rose questions. "What are you gonna do next?"

"Well," the Doctor hedges. "Back to the TARDIS, same old life."

"On your own?" Rose still has the fear he might not want her any more.

"Why don't you want to come?" The Doctor counters, shearing the same fear.

"Well yeah," Rose replied.

"Do you though?" The Doctor wants to make sure.

"Ya," Rose grins.

"Well, I just thought cause I'd changed," the Doctor voices.

"Yeah, I thought cause you changed, you might not want me anymore." Rose voices her fear.

"Oh I'd love you to come," the Doctor grins in relief.

"Your never gonna stay are you?" Mickey pouts.

Rose turns to Mickey, "there's just so much out there, so much to see, I've got to." Rose tries to explain.

"Yeah," Mickey finally agrees.

"Well I reckon your mad the pair of ya, it's like you go looking for trouble," Jackie questions confused.

The Doctor bounds over to her and places his arm around her shoulders. "Troubles just the bits in between, it's all waiting out there Jackie, and it's brand new to me. All those planets, creatures and horizons. I haven't seen them yet, not with these eyes." He walks back over to Rose as he sees her staring at him fondly. "And it is gonna be, fantastic."

Rose grins back at him as the Doctor holds out his right hand. "That hand of yours still gives me the creeps." Rose explains as he wiggles his fingers, Rose finally takes his hand and moves closer. Brushing ash of his shoulder, "so where we gonna go first?"

The Doctor looks at the night sky. "Um, that way," he points. "No, hold on that way." He changes direction slightly before looking back at Rose.

"That way," Rose points in the same direction. "Yeah," Rose agrees. "That way."

Rose turns to look back at the night sky while the Doctor continues to stare at her.

That's when Jackie and Mickey see the true depth of his feelings for Rose. They thought he did, but now they know exactly how deep those feelings are. The Doctor looks at her like she's his entire universe.


	2. Interlude 1

It's New Year's Eve about 11pm and the Doctors just finished repairing the TARDIS after their crash landing on Christmas Eve. He had been at a party that Jackie was throwing but it got a bit to domestic even for him so he thought he'd leave and give Rose time with her family and friends.

Now he's lying in bed with nothing to do his thoughts turn to doubts, does Rose still want to travel with him and if so does she still love him like she did his previous form. She hasn't even kissed him yet, well not since he first regenerated. That's another thing she didn't seem as surprised about his regeneration as he thought she'd be. It was like she anticipated it.

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Meanwhile Rose was trying to find the Doctor. "Mum," Rose interrupted her mother mid speech. "Have you seen the Doctor?"

"Yeah," Jackie replied. "Little while ago, he mumbled something about it being a bit too domestic and he was going home."

"Thanks mum," her mother had clearly had too much to drink.

Rose couldn't believe he just wondered back to the TARDIS again. Though she had to admit that even she was feeling a bit out of place in a scene she use to love. She wondered back to the TARDIS and walked in expecting to find him under the console with his legs poking out but he wasn't there. The TARDIS sent her images in her mind and she realised why he really disappeared.

Cause she hadn't kissed him yet in that form he's worried she doesn't love him still. The only reason she hadn't kissed him was for the same reason, she was afraid that if she did try to he'd push her away. The TARDIS sent her a glare for even daring to think that. Patting a coral strut she asked the TARDIS for help. She grinned to herself as she headed to her old room, she was going to give the Doctor a New Years he'll never forget.

The Doctor was half asleep when his bedroom door opened and Rose walked in. She was wearing a short silk dressing gown, a really short silk dressing gown. He continued to watch her carefully as she walked towards him, she stopped next to the bed, time seemed to slow as he watched her slowly undo the robe and he continued to watch as the silk robe caressed her arms as it dropped to the floor. He swallowed convulsively as he got a good look at what she was wearing or not wearing under the robe.

Rose was nervous but both the TARDIS and Bad Wolf assured her that the last thing the Doctor would do was push her away. As she dropped the robe to the floor she saw his eyes darken and encouraged but that show of desire she climbed on the bed to straddle him. Feeling the proof of his desire and feeling her own rising to new heights she dropped all her mental guards around her mind to show the Doctor exactly how she feels about him.

She felt the Doctor convulse slightly as he felt the full extent of her desire, the next thing she knew he had dropped his as well and her mind was bombarded with so many emotions that she couldn't keep up with them but the one emotion that was always at the front was his love for her. If you asked later neither could say who moved first but they were both ravishing each other, the Doctors clothing went flying around the room and the little scraps that were classed as lingerie that Rose was wearing disappeared. The moment midnight hit and the New Year began both the Doctor and Rose reached the peak together and they would swear that they saw the entire universe stretched before them before slowly coming back down.

Many hours later as the sun rose on a new year the Doctor watched the blonde sleeping cuddled up to his side and again marvelled at her stamina and flexibility. For the first time in this new body all his fears were gone and he knew now that no matter what he looked like she would always love him. He also didn't feel the need to move at all, which was strange, this new body seemed to be full of energy yet at the moment he feels content.

Rose slowly came to awareness as she realised the Doctor was still next to her, not only that but he doesn't seem to be in that big rush to move either. In the previous time line this him seemed a bit hyper active yet at the moment he felt content or that's what she was getting from their bond any way.

A few hours later and showers, every time she tried to shower the Doctor found a very nice way to distract her, she was sitting on the bathroom counter as she watched the Doctor shave. She laughed quietly when he nicked himself again.

"Do you want to try it?" The Doctor pouted.

Taking the razor off him. She moved him till he was standing between her legs and she then proceeded to shave him. She was glade that some things never changed, he still cuts himself shaving and it gives her an excuse to slowly get him use to domestics.

"There, all smooth," she commented as she rubbed her check against his. She felt his fingers tighten on her thighs as she moved back slightly so their mouths were millimetres apart.

The next thing she knew he had pulled her tightly against him as he snogged her. Rose spent the rest of the day exploring her new Doctor both in and out of bed. Together they discovered what he liked and didn't like, new skills he could do, cooking wasn't one of them Rose confirmed when he burnt a batch of pancakes to black discs.

The Doctor for his part was amazed, he still loved bananas though now he also loved edible ball bearings and the most amazing thing of all. He stilled loved Rose Tyler, I mean their bond has strengthened but usually when he regenerates all his feelings are burnt out of him yet he feels like he's even more in love with her now than he was in his previous form and he didn't think that was possible.


	3. Hospitals and cats

The day after New Year's Day would seem like just another day but for the Tyler family it's the day Rose takes of for another adventure with her Doctor. Rose finishes packing what she needs in her backpack and rushes down to the TARDIS. She saw her mother lean in to whisper something to the Doctor and she saw him nod to her before glancing up and meeting her eyes.

The Doctor enters the console room, throws his trench coat over a coral strut and pushes a few buttons on the console to wake the TARDIS up. Setting co-ordinates for their new adventure while the Doctor waited for Rose to say goodbye.

"You've got everything?" Her mother asks worriedly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I've got everything," she assured her. "Don't worry."

"Be careful," her mother warned.

Rose pulled her mother in for a hug and kissed her check before moving to Mickey. "I want to see you going out there and meeting new girls," Rose demand. "It's a new year, make the most of it."

"Yeah, off course," Mickey agreed. She hugged him, said her finally goodbyes and entered the TARDIS.

She placed her backpack next to the jump-seat as the Doctor grinned at her. Grinning back she bounded over to the console near the Doctor. The Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS dematerialised from the Powell estate and entered the time vortex.

"So where we going?" Rose queried.

"Further than we've ever gone before," the Doctor assured her.

Grinning she realised exactly where they were going as she felt the TARDIS land. **Yes, Cassandra needs to posses you.** Bad wolf explained, **it's how the Doctor found out about intensive care and it teaches Cassandra compassion. You don't realise it yet but each person you met, you change for the good, like you did the Doctor.**

Rose didn't like the thought of Cassandra running around in her body. Don't worry, Bad Wolf assured her. I'll hide most off your mind so she'll only see what I want her to see.

Rose sighed slightly but at a confused look from the Doctor she placed a grin back on her face as she grabbed the Doctors hand and ran to the doors.

The Doctor was confused when he saw her frown as they landed. He saw through the smile she showed him as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door. Roses odd behaviour was forgotten though as he stepped out behind her and he saw the awe on her face.

Rose had obviously been here before but she couldn't help how awed she was of the planet. She supposes this is what earth would look like without pollution.

"It's the year 5 billion and 23," the Doctor explained. "We're in the galaxy, M87 and this, this is New Earth." The Doctor grinned at Rose as she stared at the city in the distance and the cars flying overhead.

"That's just," Rose starts, at a lose for words.

"Not bad," the Doctor agreed as he laughed with Rose. "Not bad at all."

"That's amazing," Rose says in awe. "I'll never get use to this, never. Different ground beneath my feet," Rose jumps up and down to emphasis the point. "Different sky, why does it smell like apples?"

The Doctor bends down and picks some grass to show her. "Apple grass."

"Apple grass," Rose grins back.

"Yeah, yeah," the Doctor agreed happily.

"It's beautiful," Rose exclaimed. "Oh, I love this. Can I just say," Rose moves closer and wraps her arms around the Doctors neck. "Travelling with you, I love it."

"Me too," the Doctor assures her before giving her a quick kiss then grabbing her hand. "Come on."

The Doctor and Rose laugh as they run through the apple grass. They find a nice spot over looking the city, the Doctor lies his coat on the ground. Rose sits on his coat and leans back on her elbows as the Doctor rests his head on her stomach. Rose runs her fingers through his hair slowly, something she found they both enjoyed.

"So the year 5 billion," the Doctor starts. "The sun expands, the earth gets roasted."

"That was our first date," Rose interrupted grinning at him.

"We had chips," the Doctor remembered. "So anyway," the Doctor continued. "The planet gone all rocks and dust but the human race lives on spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, ooh yeah all nostalgic, big revival movement they find this place. Same size as the Earth, same orbit, lovely. Aliens move out, humans move in."

"What's the city called?" Rose questions.

"New, New York," the Doctor answers.

Rose can see the teasing in his eyes, "oh, come on," she teases back.

"It is," the Doctor assured her. "It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking it's the 15th New York since the original. So that makes it new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, New York."

Rose starts laughing quietly and he looks over to her. Rose is glade something's are the same but she knows something's are different as well.

"What?" He asks noticing her looking at him.

"Your so different," Rose responds. "Not bad different just different."

"New new Doctor," the Doctor grinned back.

"Can we go and visit New New York?" Rose asks. "So good they named it twice."

The Doctor and Rose stand up as the Doctor puts his coat back on. "Well," the Doctor hedged. "I thought we might go there first," the Doctor nodded at the hospital.

"Why?" Rose queried.

"It's a hospital," the Doctor tells her. "Green moon on the side, that's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this," the Doctor shows Rose the psychic paper as the words ward 26, please come, showed. "Message on the psychic paper, someone wants to see me."

"And I thought we were just sight seeing," Rose raised her eyebrow at him before sighing and grabbing his arm. "Come on then, let's go buy some grapes."

The Doctor grins at Rose as they head to the hospital. Entering Rose hears the Doctor mutter about how much he hates hospitals.

"Bit rich coming from you," Rose responds.

The Doctor blushed slightly as he realised she had heard him. "I can't help it, I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps."

Rose rolled her eyes as Bad Wolf mutters, **that coming from someone who names himself the Doctor.** Rose grinned at that statement as she looked around marvelling at how clean cut the building is. "Very smart, not exactly NHS."

"There's no shop," the Doctor complained. "I like the little shop."

"So this far in the future, they still haven't killed all the viruses?" Rose questions.

"The human race moves on but so do the viruses," the Doctor agreed. "It's an on going war."

Rose watches a cat nun walk past, a shiver runs down her spine when she remembers what there doing. "There cats."

"Now don't stare," the Doctor warned as he noticed her shiver. "Think what you look like to them all pink and yellow." The Doctor comments as he looks her up and down. "That's where I'd put the shop," he points out as he moves to an open lift. "Ward 26 thanks."

Rose turns and runs to the Doctors lift knowing she won't make it. "Hold on, hold on."

"Oh too late, I'm going up," the Doctor calls.

"It's alright there's another lift," she assures him.

"Ward 26," the Doctor reminded her before he remembered. "And watch out for the disinfectant."

"Watch out for what?" Rose asks not being able to hear him properly but realising what he must of been warning her about.

"The disinfectant," the Doctor yelled.

"The what?" Rose grins teasing him even though he can't see.

"The disin...," he cuts himself off. "Oh, you'll find out," he mutters.

The next lift opens and Rose steps in. "Ward 26 thanks," Rose braced herself as the lift moved down.

_Commence stage one disinfection,_ the Doctor heard as disinfectant was sprayed on the Doctor from the roof.

_Commence stage one disinfection,_ Rose heard as she was sprayed with disinfectant. Even expecting it this time she was still startled, she had forgotten how cold it was.

The Doctor was treating it just like a shower. While Rose was standing there shivering, wishing it was all over with.

Then some sort of scent was puffed out at them before the fans started. The Doctor opened his coat to make sure everything dried. Rose was just trying to keep her hair from flying in her face.

The Doctors lift opened up on to ward 26, stepping out he messed up his hair slightly in the way Rose liked. Then moved off to find who sent him the message.

Roses lift, unfortunately, opened up to the basement and she stepped out cautiously knowing what she'd find. Turning to her left she spotted Chip.

"The human child is clean," Chip stated.

"This isn't ward 26," Rose stated.

Chip ignored her. "This way Rose Tyler," Chip moved off down the hallway.

Rose followed slowly, she didn't bother picking up anything to use as a weapon, she knows it's pointless. Sighing, she moved to follow Chip wishing for it to just be over with already.

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The Doctor managed to find a cat nun who could help him find the person he's looking for.

"Nice place," he complimented as they entered another room. "No shop downstairs, I'd have a shop. Not a big one, just a shop so people can shop."

"A hospital is a place of healing," the cat nun argues.

"A shop does some people a world of good," the Doctor counters. "Not me, other people."

"The sisters of plenitude take a life long vow to help, and mend," the cat nun explained as they slowly moved through the ward.

The Doctor noticed a man who looks like he's turning to stone.

"Excuse me," the lady next to him complained. "Members of the public may only gaze on the Duke if Manhattan with written permission from the senate of New New York."

"That's petrifold regression right," the Doctor realised, ignoring the woman.

"I'm dying, sir," the Duke tells him. "A lifetime of charity and abstinence and it ends like this.

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," the woman warns him.

"Fron Clovis," the Duke of Manhattan calls. The woman runs to his side, "I'm so weak."

"Sister Chat," Fron hissed. "A little privacy please."

Sister Chat moved the Doctor on. "He'll be up in no time," Sister Chat assured the Doctor.

"I doubt it," the Doctor disagreed. "Petrifold regression, he's turning to stone, there won't be a cure for, ooh a thousand years. He might be up and about but only as a statue."

"Have faith in the sisterhood," Sister Chat reassured. "But is there no one here that you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."

The Doctors eyes finally found who he was looking for. "No," the Doctor assured Sister Chat. " I think I found him."

Sister Chat lead the Doctor over to the Face of Boe. "Novice Hame, if I can leave this gentleman in your care."

The Doctor realised he hadn't seen Rose since they were separated. "Oh, my partner. I think she got lost, Rose Tyler, could you ask at reception."

"Certainly sir," Sister Chat assured him as she walked away.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep," Novice Hame informed the Doctor. "It's all he tends to do these days, are you a friend?"

"We met just the once," the Doctor explained. "On platform one. What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry," Novice Hame apologised. "I thought you knew, the Face of Boe is dying."

"Of what?" The Doctor asks confused.

"Old age," Novice Hame explained gently. "One thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old, some people say millions although that's impossible."

"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor disagreed. "I like impossible." He bends down to watch the Face of Boe. "I'm here, I look a bit different but it's me, it's the Doctor."

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Rose slowly follows Chip into a room where a projector is showing a dinner party. Rose watches it as she starts to feel pity for Cassandra. "Hello Cassandra," Rose greets as she turns around. "What you gonna do, use golem to hurt me?"

"Oh, that's just Chip," Cassandra explained. "He's my pet."

"I worship the mistress," Chip stats proudly.

"Moisturise me, moisturise me," Cassandra calls. Chip picks up a spray bottle to moisturise Cassandra while she continues. "He's not even a proper life form, he's a forced grown clone. I modelled him of my favourite pattern, but he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs."

Rose wrinkles her nose. "Hope that means food? How are you here?"

"After you murdered me," Cassandra sneered.

"That was your own fault," Rose corrected.

"The brain of my mistress survived," Chip explained. "And her pretty blue eyes were salvageable."

"And where did you get the skin?" Rose queried trying to hold back her laughter. "I saw it, you got ripped apart."

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body," Cassandra explained. "This piece is the back."

Rose couldn't hide her laughter any more. "Right, so you talking out your..."

"Ask not," Cassandra interrupted.

"My mistress was lucky to survive," Chip continued. "Chip secreted my lady into the hospital."

"So they don't know your here?" Rose realises.

"Chip steals medicine for me lady, helps me lady, soothes her, strokes her," Chip stats reverently.

Rose wrinkles her nose again. "You can stop right there Chip."

"But I'm so alone," Cassandra sighed. "Hidden down here. The last human in existence."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't start that again. They've called this planet New Earth."

"A vegetable patch," Cassandra scoffed.

"There's millions of humans out there," Rose explained. "Millions of them."

"Mutant stock," Cassandra condescends.

"They evolved, Cassandra," Rose sighed. "They just evolved. Like they should, you stayed still. Got yourself all pickled and preserved and what good did it do ya."

Cassandra sighed as she ignored Rose and turned back to a projection of her party. "Aah, I loved that night. Drinks for the ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became such hard work."

Rose shrugged, she did pity her. How many people would do anything to keep their beauty. "You've got knack for survival I'll give ya that much."

"I've got an idea Rose," Cassandra explained. "Tucked away underneath this hospital I've been listening. The sisters are hiding something."

Rose raised her brow, "what you mean?"

"Oh, these cats have secrets," Cassandra continued. "Hush, let me whisper. Come closer."

Rose laughed. "You must be joking if you think I'm coming anywhere near you." Rose moves backwards till she was caught in lasers, holding her hands out to the side.

"Chip," Cassandra called. "Activate the psycho graft." Chip ran to follow her orders.

"Cassandra, what are you doing?" Rose sighed. She knows it has to be done but it doesn't make it any easier to go through. A light field surrounds her.

"The ladies moving on," Cassandra explained. "It's good bye trampoline, and hello blondie."

Rose watches as a pink cloud moves from Cassandra towards Rose. As Cassandra's conscience entered Roses mind, Bad Wolf wrapped Roses conscience in her golden light so her mind was safely tucked away. Rose, this time would remember everything that Cassandra does.

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The Doctor went snooping around the ward while he waited for the Face of Boe to wake up. Stopping off, he grabs two cups of water before heading back.

He handed one cup to Novice Hame. "It's very kind, there's no need."

"Your the one working," the Doctor explained as he watched the view of New New York.

"There's not much to do," Novice Hame insists. "Just maintain his smoke and I guess I'm company. I can hear him singing sometimes, in my mind, such ancient songs."

"Am I the only visitor?" The Doctor queried.

"The rest of Boe kind became extinct," Novice Hame explained. "Long ago, he's the only one left. Legends say that the Face if Boe has watched the universe grow old, there's all sorts of superstition around him. One story says that just before his death the Face if Boe will impart his great secret, that he would speak those words to one like himself."

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asks.

"It's just a story," Novice Hame assures him.

"Tell me the rest," the Doctor urges.

Novice Hame continues, "it's said he will talk to a wonderer, to the man without a home. The lonely God."

The Doctor watches Boe quietly as he realises who the story must refer to, him. That's when he realises Rose still hasn't made it here. Really worried now he spots a phone and gives her a call.

"Rose where are you?" The Doctor asks as he hears the phone being answered. He can hear whispering in the background.

"Aah, watch ya," Rose answers.

The Doctor frowned at that, "where have you been? How long does it take to get to ward 26?"

"I'm on my way governor, I shall proceed up the apples and pears," Rose answers in a posh voice.

"You'll never guess," the Doctor grinned. "I'm at the Face of Boe. You remember him?"

He hears Rose laugh funny. "Of course I do, that big old Boe race."

The Doctor just noticed something strange about the Duke of Manhattan. "I've got to go, see you in a minute." The Doctor wanders up to him as he hangs up.

"It's that man again," the Duke points out happily. "He's my good luck charm. Come in, don't be shy."

The Doctor grins at him as he moves closer. He doesn't see any infection left.

Fron turns to the Doctor. "Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract."

"Winch me up," the Duke asks Fron. She pushes a button on a remote and the Duke is raised so he can look at the Doctor properly. "Up, look at me. No sign of infection."

"Champagne sir," a waiter asks.

"No thanks," the Doctor replies distracted. "Um, you had petrifold regression, right?"

"Had being the operative word," the Duke agreed. "Past tense. Completely cured."

"But that's impossible," the Doctor exclaimed.

A cat nun walked up next to him. "A primitive species would accuse us of magic but it's merely the tender application of science."

The Doctor turns to her. "How on Earth did you cure him?"

"How on New Earth you might say," the cat nun counters.

"What's in that solution?" The Doctor questions.

The cat nun shrugs. "A simple remedy."

"Then tell me what it is?" The Doctor challenges.

"I'm sorry," the cat nun apologises. "Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp.

"I'm the Doctor," he greets.

"I think you'll find that were the doctors here," Matron Casp scoffs.

Another cat nun approaches. "Matron Casp, you are needed in intensive care."

"If you would excuse me," Matron Casp excused.

The Doctor watches them curiously as they walk off. Something's going on around here and he wants to know what it is. He's wondering around looking at all the various solutions when he notices Rose walking in.

"There you are," he exclaimed, relieved she's there. "Come have a look at this patient." He leads her to a red patient that looks like he's suspended in midair. "Marcronese disease, should take years to recover. Two days, I've never seen anything like it, they've invented a cell washing cascade, it's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced, and this one." He moves on to another patient who's all white. "Pallidon pancreosise, kills you in 10 minutes and he's fine." He waves to the patient as he realises that he heard him. "I need to find a terminal, I've got to find out how they do this. Cause if they've got the best medicine in the world then why is it such a secret."

"I can't Adam and Eve it," Rose responds.

The Doctor looks at her funny as he finally realises that something about her is off. "What, what's with the voice?" He asks as his eyes keep moving down to her top which is unbuttoned a bit more than normal. It doesn't help that his mind keeps wandering to inappropriate thoughts.

"Oh I don't know," Rose responds. "Just larking about. New Earth, new me," he watches Rose look him up and down like she's never seen this him before.

He grins suddenly, "well I can talk, new new Doctor."

"Hmmm, aren't you just," he hears her respond just before she grabs his head and snogs him while running her fingers through his hair.

He watches how flustered she is from the kiss while his own mind has shut down. " Ter-ter-terminals this way."

"Yep, still got it," the Doctor squeaks before his mind turns back on. Now he knows that something's happened to Rose cause even though he loves kissing her, she never kisses like that. He follows her to a terminal and uses the sonic screwdriver. "Nope, nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry, no sign of a shop, they should have a shop."

"No it's missing something else," the not-Rose suggested. "When I was downstairs those nurse cat nuns were talking about intensive care. Where is it?"

The Doctor watched her suspiciously. "Your right, well done."

"Why would they hide a whole department?" The not-Rose questioned. "It's got to be there somewhere. Search the subframe."

That's even more telling, though the Doctor loves Rose a lot. She hasn't been travelling enough to know about sub frames. "What if the sub frames locked?"

"Try the installation protocols," she condescends.

"Yeah, of course, sorry hold on." The Doctor agreed. He just tested her and she failed. Now he knows, that isn't his Rose.

The wall that the terminals sitting in suddenly moves down to show a dark passageway hidden behind it. He follows the not-Rose carefully. "Intensive care, well it looks intensive."

The Doctor follows the not-Rose down a flight of stairs and into a huge room filled with green pods. Looking over the balcony he can see thousands of them. The Doctor and the not-Rose wander down a hallway as the Doctor feels his anger starts to rise. He uses his sonic on one of the doors and opens it to revel a being inside, covered in welts and god knows what else.

"That's disgusting," he hears the not-Rose stats. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry," he apologises. "I'm so sorry." He closes the door again and opens the one next to it to see the exact same thing.

"What disease is that?" The not-Rose questions.

"All off them," the Doctor deadpans. "Every single disease in the galaxy, they've been infected with everything."

"What about us? Are we safe?" The not-Rose questions.

The Doctor closes the door again. "Yeah, sterile. Just don't touch them."

The Doctor walks back to the main cavern and places his hands on the railings as he looks out at the thousands of pods. He feels his anger rising.

"How many patients are there?" Not-Rose questions.

"There not patients," the Doctor explained.

"But their sick?" Not-Rose answers.

"They were sick," the Doctor continued. "There meant to be sick. They exist to be sick, lab rats. No wonder the sisters have a cure for everything. They built the ultimate research laboratory, a human farm."

The Doctor in his anger walks down a hallway looking for someone.

"Why don't they just die?" The not-Rose questions.

"Plaque carries," the Doctor replies. "Last to go."

"It's for the greater cause," Novice Hame tried to explain.

"Obviously," the Doctor scoffed. "When you took your vows did you agree to this?" The Doctor had liked Novice Hame.

"The sisterhood has sworn to help," Novice Hame tried again.

The Doctors temper snapped. "What by killing?"

Novice Hame looked confused. "But their not real people. Their specially grown, they have no proper existence."

"What's the turnover?" The Doctor counters, "thousand a day, thousand the next, how many thousand for how many years? How many?" The Doctor yells.

"Mankind needed us," she continued to explain. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses, we couldn't cope. We did try, we tried everything. We tried using clone meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow so the sisterhood grew it's own flesh. That's all they are, flesh."

"These people are alive," the Doctor stated.

"But think of those humans out there," Novice Hame insisted. "Healthy and happy because of us."

"If they live because of this then life is worthless," the Doctor argues.

Now she looks really confused. "And who are you to decide that?"

"I'm the Doctor," he stated. "And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, there isn't one. It stops with me."

"Just to confirm," Not-Rose interrupts. "None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

"We thought it best not..." Novice Hame began.

"Hold on," the Doctor interrupted. He was sick of Rose not acting like herself. "I can understand the bodies, I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand, what have you done to Rose?"

Novice Hame looked at him confused. "I don't know what you mean?"

"And I'm being very, very calm," the Doctor assured her, trying to rein in his temper. "You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm, and the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Roses head I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything," Novice Hame insists.

"I'm perfectly fine," not-Rose assures him.

"These people are dying," the Doctor explained. "And Rose would care."

"Oh, alright clever clogs," not-Rose spins him to face her. "Smarty pants," she grabs his tie. "Lady killer," she moves towards him flirtatiously.

"What's happened to you?" The Doctor questions.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out." Not-Rose gloated.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asks, as he realises it's someone else in Roses body.

She leans towards his ear. "The last human."

"Cassandra?" The Doctor questions.

"Wake up and smell the perfume," she scoffs as she sprays something in the Doctors face.

The Doctor falls unconscious to the floor.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Waking up the Doctor finds himself locked in one of the pods. "Let me out," he calls. "Let me out."

He notices Cassandra/Rose staring at him. "Aren't you lucky, there was a spare. Standing room only."

"You've stolen Roses body," the Doctor argues.

"Over the years," Cassandra/Rose gloated. "I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now that's exactly what I've got, 1 thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top up every 10 minutes, you've got about three minutes left. Enjoy."

"Just let Rose go, Cassandra," the Doctor begs.

"I will," Cassandra assures him. "Just as soon as I find someone younger and less common, then I'll junk with the waste now hush a bye, it's show time."

"Anything I can do to help," the Doctor hears Matron Casp ask.

He sees Cassandra turn to face the Matron. "Straight to the point, whiskers. I want money."

"The sisterhood is a charity, we don't give money, we only accept," Matron Casp tries to explain.

"The humans across the water pay you a fortune," Cassandra stats knowingly. "And that's exactly what I need a one of payment. That's all I want, oh and a yacht. In return for which I will tell the city nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

The Doctor rolls his eyes, seems Cassandra's still after money. He hears the Matron respond. "I'm afraid not."

"I would really advise you to think about this," Cassandra/Rose warns.

"There's no need," the Doctor hears the Matron respond. "I have to decline."

"I'll tell them," Cassandra/Rose insists. "And you'd no way of stopping me. Your not exactly nuns with guns, your not even armed."

"Who needs arms, when we have claws." He hears the Matron scoff as she shows her claws to Cassandra/Rose.

"Well nice try," he sees Cassandra/Rose turn to someone behind her. "Chip plan B."

He notices the person she called Chip shuffle to a lever and pull it. All the doors in that level opened including the Doctors. "What have you done?"

"Gave the system a drop of adrenaline, just to wake them up, see ya." Cassandra/Rose ran off with Chip following.

The Doctors torn, he wants to help Matron Casp and Sister Chat but he needs to stay with Cassandra/Rose. "Don't touch them," he warns the Matron as he runs after Cassandra/Rose. "Whatever you do, don't touch."

The Doctor, Cassandra/Rose and Chip stop and look out at the main cavern as the flesh are freed. He felt his anger rising, sure he was going to help them but now their free they could do a lot of damage to innocent people without knowing it.

"Oh my god," he hears Cassandra/Rose gasp.

"What the hell have you done?" The Doctor questioned.

"It wasn't me," Cassandra/Rose insisted.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world and I want that body safe, Cassandra," the Doctor tells her. "We've gotta go down."

"But the stairs are gross," Cassandra/Rose complains.

"RUN," the Doctor yells at her. "Down, down go down."

The Doctor follows Cassandra/Rose as she runs down screaming.

They end up in the basement and Cassandra/Rose runs to the lifts. "No, the lifts have closed down," the Doctor explains. "That's the quarantine, nothing's moving."

"This way," Cassandra/Rose yells as she runs past the Doctor and down the hallway.

They run past an intersecting hallway and notice flesh coming through. Cassandra/Rose and the Doctor make it past but Chip gets stuck.

"Someone might touch him," the Doctor calls to Cassandra as he runs back to try and help.

Cassandra/Rose runs back and grabs the Doctors hand. "Leave him, he's a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on."

"Mistress," Chip calls.

The Doctor watches Cassandra/Rose disappear around a corner. He turns back to Chip, he's torn again, he wants to help Chip but again he can't let Cassandra get away. "I'm sorry, I can't hang around or stay," he takes of after Cassandra/Rose.

The Doctor follows Cassandra/Rose through a door, closing and locking it behind him. He turns around to see Cassandra/Rose try another door as he notices a machine attached to the wall.

Opening another door, Cassandra/Rose sees more flesh and closes the door quickly. "We're trapped, what are we going to do?"

The Doctor stares at her calmly. "Well for starters, your gonna leave that body, that psycho-graft is banned on every civilised planet. You are compressing Rose to death."

"But I've got nowhere to go," Cassandra/Rose explained. "My original skins dead."

"Not my problem," the Doctor stats. "You can float as atoms in the air. Now get out," he points his sonic screwdriver towards Cassandra/Rose. "Give her back to me."

"You asked for it," Cassandra/Rose warned. She breathed out a pink gas cloud which immediately went into the Doctor.

Rose came back to herself and felt really disorientated. "Blimey my head," she looked to the Doctor.

"Oh my," Cassandra/Doctor stated as he turned back towards Rose. "This is different."

"Cassandra," Rose questioned. She tried to hide her laughter as she saw the Doctors body act like a girl.

"Goodness me, I'm a man," Cassandra/Doctor exclaimed. "So many parts and hardly used. Aah, ooh two hearts, oh baby I'm beating out a samba."

"Get out of him," Rose tries to demand while holding back a smirk. She had forgotten how funny it was to watch Cassandra in the Doctors body.

"Oh, he's slim," Cassandra/Doctor suggests. "And a little bit foxy, you've thought so too. I was inside your head, you've been looking, you like it."

Rose was trying hard not to laugh when the flesh burst through those doors.

Cassandra/Doctor turns to face them. "What do you do, what would he do, the Doctor, what the hell would he do."

Rose points to a ladder behind where Cassandra's expired brain is. "We've got to go up."

Cassandra/Doctor shoves Rose aside as he makes for the ladder. "Out of the way blondie."

Rose rolls her eyes as she climbs the ladder behind him. "If you get out of the Doctors body, he can think of something." Rose tried to reason as they continued to climb.

"Nag, nag, nag," Cassandra/Doctor replied. "God it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city."

"We could die," Rose yells. Matron Casp grabs Roses ankle as Rose tries to shake her off.

"All our good work," Matron cries. "All that healing. The good name of the sisterhood. You have destroyed everything."

"Go play with a ball of string," Cassandra/Doctor scoffed.

"Everything, everywhere disease. This is the human world, sickness." She suddenly develops warts all over her as she lets go of the ladder and falls to her death.

That's when Rose sees the flesh, not far from them. "Move," Rose yells.

Cassandra/Doctor continues climbing in a panic as Rose follows him. They make it to the top to find a locked door.

"Help us," Rose hears the flesh calling out.

"Now what do we do?" Cassandra/Doctor complains.

"Use the sonic screwdriver," Rose explains.

Cassandra/Doctor pulls it out from his jacket pocket. "You mean this thing," he stats as he holds it by his fingertips.

"Yes, I mean that thing," Rose stats exasperated.

"But I don't know how," Cassandra/Doctor complained. "That Doctors hidden away all his thoughts."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Cassandra, go back into me, the Doctor can open it. Do it," Rose yells.

"Hold on tight," Cassandra/Doctor warns as he breathes out a pink gas cloud and it re-enters Rose.

"Oh, Chav-tastic," Cassandra/Rose sighs. "Open it."

The Doctors now pointing the sonic screwdriver back at Cassandra/Rose. "Not until you get out of her."

"We need the Doctor," Cassandra/Rose explained.

"I order you to leave her!" The Doctor yelled angrily.

Once again a pink gas cloud leaves Rose and enters the Doctor. "No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout."

"Cassandra," Rose sighed. "Get out of him."

"But if I go into you he simply refuses, he's so rude," Cassandra/Doctor explained.

Rose looks to the flesh then back to the Cassandra/Doctor. "Go into one of them."

"Ooh," Cassandra/Doctor explained. "There so disgusting."

"I don't care," Rose stats. "It's the only way we're getting out of here.

"Ooh, I'm so going to regret this," Cassandra/Doctor stats as a pink gas cloud leaves the Doctor and enters the flesh.

The Doctor quickly opens the door then turns to help Rose through. "Nice to have you back."

A pink gas cloud hits Rose in the back of her head as she falls towards the floor. The Doctor locks the doors behind them.

"That is your last warning, Cassandra," the Doctor yells angrily.

"Inside her head," Cassandra/Rose explained. "There so alone, they keep reaching out just to hold us. All their lives and they've never been touched."

The Doctors anger disappears as he sees pity finally showing. He walks over and holds out his hand to her. Cassandra/Rose takes it as he pulls her to her feet, they hear banging on the door as they turn a corner and open another door into the ward they came from.

The Doctor notices the Face of Boe before he sees Fron run towards them wielding a chair. "We're safe, were safe," the Doctor yelled as he and Cassandra/Rose showed them their exposed flesh. "We're clean, were clean look, look, clean look. If we'd been touched, we'd be dead."

Fron finally places the chair down.

"So how's it going up here, what's the status?" The Doctor questions.

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards," Fron explained. "I think we're the only ones left and I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip the signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that," the Doctor argued. "If they forced entry, they break quarantine."

"I am not dying here," Fron said through gritted teeth.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out," the Doctor cried. "There are 10 million people in that city, they'd all be at risk, now turn that off."

"Not if it gets me out," Fron cried back.

"Oh, alright fine," the Doctor shrugged. "Then I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me, Rose, Novice Hame everyone. Excuse me your grace. Get me the intravenous solutions for every single disease, move it."

While everyone gathers up all the solutions, the Doctor takes a pulley of the wench. He then takes a long rope of the same wench. Wrapping the rope around himself so it crosses his chest, the Doctor and Cassandra/Rose start attaching the solutions to the rope.

"How's that," the Doctor asks. "Will that do?"

"I don't know," Cassandra/Rose asks baffled. "Will it do for what?"

The Doctor opens the door to the lift shaft and looks down to see the lift on the ground floor.

"The lifts aren't working," Cassandra/Rose reminds him as she follows him.

"Not moving," the Doctor agrees. The Doctor moves back to get a head start. "Here we go," the Doctor stats as he places his sonic screwdriver in his mouth then runs forwards and jumps towards the lift cable. He attaches the pulley to the cable.

"What do you think your doing?" Cassandra questions.

"I'm going down," the Doctor mumbles around his sonic screwdriver. "Come on," the Doctor urges Cassandra/Rose.

"Ha," Cassandra/Rose scoffs. "Not in a million years."

"I need another pair of hands," the Doctor explains. "What do you think, your so desperate to stay alive. Why don't you live a little," he taunts.

"Seal the doors," he hears Fron call.

The Doctor sees the flesh coming round the corner at the same time as Cassandra/Rose. Having no other choice she runs and jumps onto the Doctors back. "Your completely mad, I can see why she likes you."

"Going down," the Doctor calls as he release the break on the pulley and they slide down the cable. The Doctor had Cassandra/Rose screaming in his ear the whole way until he applied the break and they stopped when they reached the roof of the lift.

"Well that's one way to lose weight," Cassandra/Rose comments as she straightens herself out.

"Now listen," the Doctor tells her. "When I say so, take a hold of that lever."

"There's still a quarantine down there," Cassandra/Rose explains. "We can't."

"Hold that lever," the Doctor yells at her, stopping her complaint. "I'm cooking up a cocktail, I know a bit about medicine myself."

The Doctor sees Cassandra/Rose grab hold of the lever as he rips open the solution bags and pours each of them in the disinfectant container on top of the lift.

"Now that levers gonna resist," the Doctor explained. "But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got."

"What about you?" Cassandra/Rose questions.

"I've got an appointment," the Doctor explained. "The Doctor is in," he jumps through the hatch in the roof of the lift and lands on the floor. He uses his sonic screwdriver to open the lift doors.

All the flesh sees him standing there and start to move towards him.

"I'm in here, come on," the Doctor yells.

"Don't tell them," he hears Cassandra/Rose scoff.

"Pull that lever," the Doctor yells back. "Come and get me, come on. I'm in here, come on."

_Commence stage one disinfection,_ the Doctor hears.

"Come on," the Doctor urges as the disinfection starts and the solution he cooked up pours through like a shower. "Come on, come on."

Some of the infected make it into the lift and are hit with the solution. He can see them realising what's happening. "All they wanna do is pass it on, pass it on."

"Pass on what?" He hears Cassandra/Rose questions. "Pass on what?"

"Pass it on," the Doctor jumps up and down as he sees them passing on the cure.

The Doctor helped Cassandra/Rose down as they watched all the flesh be cured. "What did they pass on?" Cassandra/Rose enquires. "Did you kill them?"

"No," the Doctor assured her as they walked out into the main entrance. "That's your way of doing things, I'm the Doctor and I cured them." One of the flesh comes up and hugs him. "Hey, it's all right, hey." He assures her before moving her on. "There we go sweetheart. It's a new sub-species Cassandra. A brand new form of life, new humans, look at them, look. Grown by cats, kept in the dark, feed by tubes but completely, completely alive." He turns to point back at Cassandra/Rose. "You can't deny them, cause you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life will out, ha."

The Doctor and Cassandra/Rose make it back to ward 26 as they see Novice Hame taken away by the police.

The Doctor suddenly realises, "the Face of Boe."

Cassandra/Rose follows him as he runs to the Face of Boe. The Doctor arrives to see the Face of Boe awake. "You were suppose to be dying."

"There are better things to do today, dying can wait," Boe explains.

He sees Cassandra/Rose roll her eyes. "Oh, I hate telepathy, just what I need, a head full of big face."

"Shh," the Doctor quiets her.

"I'd grown tired of the universe, Doctor," Boe continued. "But you have taught me to look at it a new."

"There are legends you know," the Doctor pries. "Saying that your millions of years old."

"Well now," Boe laughs. "That would be impossible."

"Wouldn't it just," the Doctor agreed. " I got the impression, there was something you wanted to tell me."

"A great secret," Boe agreed.

"So the legend said," the Doctor hinted.

"It can wait," Boe assured him.

The Doctor pouted. "Oh, does it have too."

"We shall met again, Doctor. For the third time, for the last time and the truth shall be told. Until that day, give my love to Rose," the Face of Boe teleported out.

The Doctor watched him confused. "That is enigmatic, that, that is, that is textbook enigmatic. And now for you," the Doctor stats as he turns to face Cassandra/Rose.

"Everything's happy," Cassandra/Rose insists. "Everything's fine, can't you just leave me."

"You've lived long enough," the Doctor explained. "Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."

Cassandra/Rose starts crying. "I don't want to die."

"No one does," the Doctor assured her.

"Help me," Cassandra/Rose begs.

"I can't," the Doctor let's down gently.

"Mistress," the Doctor turns to see Chip walk in.

"Oh, your alive," Cassandra/Rose exclaims.

"I kept myself safe," Chip explained. "For you, mistress."

"A body," the Doctor turns to see Cassandra/Roses mind working something out. "Not just that, a volunteer."

"Don't you dare," the Doctor warns. "He's got a life of his own."

"But I worship the mistress," Chip butted in. "I welcome her."

The Doctor continues to argue. "You can't Cassandra," the Doctor breaks off as Cassandra leaves Rose in a pink cloud and enters Chip.

The Doctor grabs Rose as she's about to fall. "You alright?" He catches her again as her legs give out. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Rose stares in the Doctors eyes. "Hello," she grins.

"Hello," he answers as he pecks her on the lips. "Welcome back."

"Oh, sweet lord," Cassandra butts in, interrupting their moment. "I'm a walking doodle."

"You can't stay in there," the Doctor explained. "I'm sorry but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tag and you can stand trial for what you've done."

"Well that would be rather dramatic," Cassandra/Chip agreed. "Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my favourite hat. But I'm afraid we don't have time, poor little Chip is only a half life, and he's been through so much, his heart is racing so. He's failing, I don't think he's going to last," Cassandra/Chips cut off as he collapses.

Rose and the Doctor catches him. "You alright," the Doctor asks.

"I'm fine," Cassandra/Chip assures them. "I'm dying, but that's fine."

"I can take you to the city," the Doctor assures him.

"No you won't," Cassandra/Chip explains. "Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. Your right, Doctor. It's time to die, but that's good."

"Come on," the Doctor urges. "There's one last thing I can do."

They help him back to the TARDIS and they take him back to the party she liked so much. The last time anyone told her she was beautiful.

The Doctor and Rose urged him on as they watched from the sidelines. The Doctor puts his arms around her as they watched on. Once Cassandra/Chip fainted the Doctor leads Rose back to the TARDIS.


	4. Interlude 2

Rose sat on the jump-seat and watched the Doctor as he sent the TARDIS into the vortex.

"So Doctor," Rose questioned. "How long did it take you to figure out that it wasn't me?"

Roses grin widened as the Doctor blushed.

"Wellll," the Doctor hedged. "I knew something was off when I called you."

Rose grinned his special smile. "You didn't know until Cassandra told you."

"No, no, no," the Doctor denied before giving in under Roses knowing grin. "Ok, I thought there was something off but no I didn't think someone had actually possessed you."

Rose adopts a fake indignant expression. "Are my kisses so forgettable that you can't tell when someone else is kissing you."

The Doctor looks horrified. "Off course not," he exclaimed before seeing the teasing light in her eyes. "I was a little distracted," he confessed.

Roses grin turned to a smirk as she stood up and moved til she was standing directly in front of the Doctor. "You were distracted," Rose repeated as she slowly pulled the Doctors tie and un did the knot. "I wonder what it was that distracted you?"

The Doctor swallowed convulsively before replying. "I, I was distracted by the forceful kiss I received."

"Sure you were," Rose disagreed. She took of his tie and started undoing his shirt buttons. "You sure it wasn't the fact that my breasts were a little more on display than normal?"

The Doctor was so distracted by what she was doing that it took him a moment to respond. "Wellll, I noticed it yeah. I'd have to be blind not to notice."

"I will tell you one thing though, Doctor," Rose suggested. She put her mouth next to his ear. "You've definitely still got the moves."

The Doctor turns his head slightly and captures her lips. The kiss immediately turns passionate as the Doctor grabs her bum and hoists her up as Rose wraps her legs around his waist. He moves towards the console and places her on top all while not breaking the kiss.

The Doctor and Rose jumped suddenly as the TARDIS shocked them before sending them a glare. Rose started laughing. "I think the TARDIS is telling us not on her console."

The Doctor grunts in annoyance before lifting her up and moving to their bedroom.

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Rose woke the next morning to the Doctor singing in the shower. She decided to join him so it was a couple of hours later that they were finally ready for the day. It was while they were in the kitchen eating breakfast that Rose decided to broach a subject she had been contemplating since she came back.

"Doctor," Rose waited til he looked at her before continuing. "Do you think . . .," Rose hesitated. "Would you be willing to teach me Gallifreyan, if it's possible?"

The Doctors eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "You want to learn to speak my language?"

"A learn to read and write as well," Rose continued. "If it's possible to learn."

The Doctor continued to stare at her as he contemplated her request. "You do realise that it could take years, possibly decades to learn," at Roses agreement he asked. "Are you really interested."

"I just," Rose hesitated. "I know that your the only one left in the universe that knows and I thought it may be a comfort to you if you had someone else to talk too. Plus it could be helpful when captured as we'll be the only ones that know what we're saying."

Rose was growing afraid that maybe she's asked too much as the Doctor just kept staring at her. She had finally decided to dismiss the subject when the Doctor spoke. "Sure," he agreed. Roses grin made his agreement all the sweeter.

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Two weeks later found the Doctor and Rose in the library as he taught her the Gallifreyan alphabet. It seems that not only has the Doctor jumped straight in to help her but so has the TARDIS. She would find odd words on the walls every now and then that the TARDIS wanted her to translate.

The Doctor for his part was surprised at how Rose threw herself into learning his language and at how the TARDIS willingly helped her. He had to admit that the fact that the TARDIS doesn't translate his language and he's the only one that understands it, does help. Just the other day they had once again been thrown in jail but this time the guards had been smart enough to seperate them. Thanks to some basic words in Gallifreyan he was able to let her know what he was planning and when to help.


	5. Never challenge the Bad Wolf

Rose woke to music being blasted through the TARDIS speakers. Grinning to herself she showered, went through her morning routine and entered the kitchen to find that the TARDIS had laid out toast and a cup of tea for her.

Sending a mental thanks to the TARDIS who hummed happily in reply. She finished her breakfast then headed to the console room, knowing that that's where she'd find the Doctor. Entering she found the Doctor dancing around the console pushing buttons and pulling levers as he sang. She tried to contain her giggles but wasn't quiet successful.

Looking up the Doctor blushed slightly as he noticed her watching him. Shutting the music off he suggested, "how about we head to a concert?"

"Sure," Rose grinned excitedly. "Would this do?" Rose held her arms out so he could see what she's wearing.

The Doctor looked her up and down before swallowing audibly. She was wearing a short denim mini skirt with a pink top and black leggings, knee high black boots with the long scarf that he used in his forth regeneration. "For the late 1970's you'd be better off in a bin bag," the Doctor stated trying to cover up the fact that he was staring at her legs. "Hold on, listen to this." He flipped a switch and music began to play, "Ian Dury and the blockheads. Number one in 1979."

Rose followed the Doctor as he moved around the console setting in co-ordinates, pushing buttons and pulling levers. "Your a punk," Rose teased him. The Doctor starts singing along to the song. "That's what you are," Rose insists with a grin. "A big old punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in."

"Want to go see 'em?" The Doctor inquired.

"In concert?" Rose questions realising where they'll be landing instead.

"What else is the TARDIS for?" The Doctor questioned. "I can take you to Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the top of the charts, November 1st 1979. What do you think?"

Rose sighed a little as she realised where they'll really be heading. She really didn't want to be called a wee naked girl again but it'd look suspicious if she came out dressed in Victorian wear when he's meant to take them to a concert. "Sheffield it is," Rose grinned at him.

"Hold on tight," the Doctor suggests pointlessly as he pulls a lever and their thrown about as the TARDIS moves threw the vortex. The Doctor points to a switch for her to hold down while he holds a lever down and starts using a mallet on another in the beat of the music still playing.

Rose can feel the old girls annoyance with the use of the mallet as the Doctor yells out. Reaching out mentally to the ship she promises,** "don't worry I'll hide the mallet as soon as we get back."** The TARDIS hummed in appreciation.

With a last big jolt both the Doctor and Rose fell to the floor laughing. "1979," the Doctor stats as he jumps back to his feet pulling Rose along with him as he moves to the door. "Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam, the muppet movie, love that film. Margaret Thatcher," he makes a face as he pulls on his trench coat. "Skylab walks the Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took of my thumb, I need my thumb, I'm very attached to my thumb," he finishes off as he opens the doors and walks out to be confronted by soldiers with weapons. "1879," the Doctor realises as he and Rose raise their hands. "Same difference."

Rose rolled her eyes at him, she should've seen it coming but she had forgotten exactly when they saw Queen Victoria.

"You will explain your presence," a Scottish captain demanded. "And the nakedness of this girl."

"Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor enquired in a surprisingly good Scottish accent, ignoring Roses snort of amusement at him asking an obvious question.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" The Captain asks confused.

"Oh," the Doctor replied thinking quickly. "I'm dazed and confused, I've been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale. Isn't that right ya, timorous beastie?" The Doctor asks Rose.

Rose glares at him, promising retribution before nodding at the captain. She knows she can't even do a Scottish accent so doesn't even try.

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" The captain demands.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon," the Doctor answers using a previous companions name. "From the township of Balmoral. I have my credentials if I may," he finishes, pointing to his pocket. They lower their weapons as the Doctor pulls out his psychic paper and shows him. "As you can see a doctorate from the university of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."

"Let them approach," a voice calls out from a carriage nearby.

The captain gives them a suspicious look while still pointing his weapon at them. "I don't think that's wise, ma'am."

"Let them approach," the voice insists.

"You will approach the carriage, and show all due difference," the captain insists.

The Doctor gives a mock salute as he urges Rose with him towards the carriage. The soldiers lower their weapons as a footman opens the carriage door so they can see the person inside.

The Doctor grins as he sees who's inside the carriage. "Rose, might I introduce her majesty, Queen Victoria. Empress of India and defender of the faith."

"Rose Tyler, ma'am," Rose gives a little curtsy. "And my apologises, for being so naked."

"I've had 5 daughters," Queen Victoria dismisses. "It's nothing to me. But you Doctor, show me these credentials."

The Doctor hands over the psychic paper to the Queen.

She looks at the paper closely. "Why didn't you say so immediately," she exclaimed. "It stats clearly here, that you have been appointed by the lord province as my protector."

"Does it," the Doctor asks shocked. "Yes it does, good, good." The Doctor covers his shock quickly, "um, then let me ask, why is your majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Edinburgh.

"A tree on the line," Queen Victoria explained.

The Doctors mind starts whirling, "an accident?" He questions.

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland." The Queen insists. "Everything around me tends to be planned."

"An assassination attempt?" The Doctor tries to work out.

"There's people out to kill ya?" Rose can't help but question. In her day people are big supporters of the Royal family, she still can't fathom how anyone would want to kill off the royal family.

"I'm quiet use to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen explained.

"Sir Robert McCleen lives about 10 miles hence," the Captain explained. "We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us tonight then we can leave by dawn tomorrow."

"This Doctor and his timorous beastie will come with us," the Queen ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," the captain agreed. "We better get moving, it's almost nightfall."

"Indeed," the Queen agreed. "And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales, intended to scare the children, but good for the blood I think. Drive on," she orders the coachman as the Doctor and Rose fall in behind the coach and in between the soldiers.

"It's funny though," Rose realises as they fall in behind the carriage. "Cause you think assassination, you think of Kennedy and stuff, not her."

"1879," the Doctor explains. "She's had, ooh, 6 attempts on her life. I'll tell ya what else, we just met Queen Victoria," the Doctor finishes off grinning his manic grin.

Rose threads her arm through his, "I know."

"What a lark," the Doctor puts in.

"She's just sitting there," Rose grins.

"Like a stamp," the Doctor agrees.

This time Rose doesn't bother making a bet cause the Doctor never has any money to begin with. That and he still owes her from the last time.

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They finally make it to the estate and Rose and the Doctor stand to the side as the carriage door is opened for Queen Victoria. A footman helps the Queen out of the carriage as Sir Robert moves out of the doorway to greet her followed by two males. "Your majesty," Sir Robert bows.

"Sir Robert, my apologies for the emergency," the Queen apologises. "And how is Lady Isabel?"

"She's indisposed at the moment, I'm afraid she's gone to Edinburgh for the season," Sir Robert explains, "and she's taken the cook with her, our kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame your majesty if you wanted to ride on."

"Not at all," the Queen dismissed. "I've had quiet enough carriage exercise and this is charming if rustic. It's my first visit to this house, my late husband spoke of it often, the Torchwood estate. Now shall we go inside and please excuse the naked girl."

"Sorry," Rose apologises.

"She's a fair old child," the Doctor puts in. "I brought her for 6 pence in old London Town. It was her or the elephant man."

Rose glares at him. "Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused."

Queen Victoria dismisses their banter. "Shall we proceed."

Sir Robert falls in behind Queen Victoria as she moves through the doorway and enters the house.

Rose watches those she knows are monks like a hawk as the captain yells out something to one of his soldiers. **"Remember Rose, this has to play out." **Bad Wolf reminds her.

The Doctor was paying close attention to what the soldiers were doing when he saw Roses reaction to the monks. He watched as a soldier retrieved a small box from the carriage and walked passed him. "What's in there then?"

"Property of the crown," the captain stats. "You will dismiss any further thoughts of it."

The Doctor shares a look with Rose as his mind runs over all possibilities of what it could be. The captain then orders his soldiers to their places around the house. The Doctor and Rose move to follow the Queen into the house.

Queen Victoria asks to see the project her late husband and Sir Roberts father were working on. So the Doctor and Rose followed as he lead them up to the observatory. Walking in Rose is still intrigued by the telescope and how someone living in the 1870's could manage to build something like that.

"This, I take it is the famous endeavour," the Queen guessed.

"All my fathers work," Sir Robert agreed. "Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession, he spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."

"I wish I'd met him," the Doctor grinned. "I like him, that things beautiful. Can I, um," the Doctor motioned towards the telescope.

"Be my guest," Sir Robert agreed.

Rose followed the Doctor as she rolled her eyes. He's always distracted by new technology.

"What did he model it on?" The Doctor questioned.

"I knew nothing about it," Sir Robert explained. "To be honest most of the time I thought him a little, shall we say eccentric."

The Doctor grins at that as he takes a good look at the telescope. He likes eccentric people.

"I wish now, I spent more time with him," Sir Robert voices with regret. "Listened to his stories."

The Doctors meanwhile looking through the telescope with a confused expression as he listened to the story. "It's a bit rubbish," he comments. "How many prisms has it got? It's got way to many. The magnifications gone right over the top, that a stupid kind off," he breaks off suddenly and leans down towards Rose. "Am I being rude again?" The Doctor whispers.

"Yep," Rose agreed happily, popping the p.

"But it's pretty," the Doctor adds quickly. "Very pretty."

"And the imagination of it surely," the Queen questions. "This device is the infinite work of God. What could be finer. Sir Roberts father was an example to us all," the Queen praised. "A polymath, stepped in astronomy and sciences yet equally well versed in folk law and fairytale."

"Stars and magic," the Doctor grinned. "I like him more and more."

Queen Victoria agreed. "Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company. Prince Albert himself was aquatinted with the many rural superstitions coming as he did from Saxon."

"That's Peru," the Doctor whispered in Roses ear.

"When Albert was told about your wolf he was transported," the Queen continued.

Rose sees the Doctors interest peak at the mention of a wolf. "What's this about a wolf?"

Sir Robert shrugs. "It's just a story."

"Then tell it," the Doctor urges as he feels Roses emotions all over the place.

"It's said that," Sir Robert starts.

"Excuse me," a servant interrupts. "Sir, perhaps her majesties parties could repair to there rooms. It's almost dark."

"Of course," Sir Robert agreed. "Yes off course."

"And then supper," the Queen suggested. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler, I'm tired off nakedness."

Rose elbowed the Doctor discreetly as she hears him trying to hold back his laughter.

"Sir Robert," the Queen addressed. "Your wife must of left some clothes, see to it. We shall dine at 7 and talk some more of this wolf. After all there is a full moon tonight."

"So there is, ma'am," Sir Robert agreed. Bowing he follows the Queen from the observatory and points each of them to a room they could use.

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While the others were meeting in the dining room downstairs Rose started looking around her room, knowing there's a maid hiding in one of the closets but can't remember which one.

Opening up one of the wardrobes she startles the maid. Calming her down she leads the maid over to the bed and urges her to sit.

Once seated, the maid opens up. "They came to the house in silence. They took the steward and the master and my lady."

Rose holds her hand. "I've got a friend, he's called the Doctor, he'll know what to do. You've got to come with me."

"Oh, but I can't miss," the maid shakes her head.

"What's ya name?" Rose enquires.

"Flora," the maid whispers.

"Flora, we'll be safe. There's more people arrived downstairs," Rose entices. "They can help us. I promise, come on."

Rose slowly leads Flora out of the room and towards the Doctor. They run across soldiers passed out. "Oh, miss," Flora exclaimed. "I did warn you."

Rose doesn't bother to check them, she knows there only asleep, not dead. Rose was trying to urge Flora onwards when a hand is placed over her mouth and they drag her and Flora away.

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The Doctor feels anger coming from his connection to Rose and wonders what she's up to. He's interrupted from his contemplation when a servant walks in. "Your companion begs an apology, Doctor. Her clothing has somewhat delayed her."

"Oh that's alright, save her a piece of ham," the Doctor acknowledges though inside he's suspicious. All the travels they've done and clothing is the one problem she never has trouble with.

"The feral child could probably eat it raw," the Queen jokes.

The captain bursts out in laughter going a bit over the top. "Very wise, ma'am. Very witty."

"At right witty perhaps," the Queen questions. "I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me captain, but don't get to excited. I shall contain my whit in case I do you further injury."

"Yes ma'am," the captain replies looking chastened. "Sorry ma'am."

The Doctor watches them closely before butting in. "Besides we're all waiting on Sir Robert," the Doctor turns to address him. "Come sir, tell us a tale of nightmares."

"Indeed," the Queen agrees. "Since my husbands death I find myself in more of a taste for supernatural fiction."

"You must miss him," the Doctor sympathises.

The Queen hesitates briefly before answering. "Very much. Oh, completely." She agrees. A somber mood spreads over the table. "And that's the charm of ghost stories, isn't it. Not the scares and chills, that's just for children. But the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from the place, it's the creators greatest mystery that we're not allowed a translation. The dead stay silent and we must wait," the Queen finishes explaining. "Come now," the Queen dispels the somber mood. "Begin your tale, Sir Robert," the Queen urges. "There's a chill in the air, the wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters."

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Rose meanwhile is trying to keep the servants and Lady Isabel who are chained with her, to calm down. Looking over she spies the cage containing the wolf and feels Bad Wolf stirring slightly.

"Don't make a sound," Lady Isabel urges her. "They say if we scream or shout then he would slaughter us."

Rose looks at them confused, "but he's in a cage. They would have to unlock it for him to get loose."

"He's not a normal man," Lady Isabel explains. "That creature is not mortal."

Said creature raised its head and opened its eyes to show them as being as black as midnight. As the ladies whimpered and they all shifted back as far as possible Rose stared straight back at the creature unafraid.

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Back in the dining room, Sir Robert starts in on the tale of the wolf. "The story goes back 300 years. Every full moon the howling rings through the valley, next morning livestock is found ripped apart and devoured."

The captain scoffed. "Tales like that just disguise the work of thieves. Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that."

"But sometimes," Sir Robert continues. "A child goes missing. Once in a generation a boy will vanish from his homestead."

The Doctor was fascinated by the tale of the wolf he couldn't hold back his questions any longer. "Are there descriptions of the creature?"

"Oh, yes Doctor," Sir Robert assures him. "Drawings and wood carvings and it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

Now the Doctors mind is swimming with possibilities. Leaning forward he exclaims, "a werewolf."

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Rose edges closer to the cage as Lady Isabel grabs her arm. "Don't child."

Rose shakes her off and moves as close to the cage as possible. "I know who you are."

The steward behind her warns. "Don't address him."

Rose kneels down so she's eye level with the creature. "I know what you want."

"Aaah, intelligence," the creature mocks.

"I know that bodies human, but not the creature inside," Rose continues.

The creature replied slowly, "this body was born 10 miles away. A weakling heartsick boy stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart."

"Alright, that bodies human, I know that but I'm giving you one chance to leave this place." Rose warns, "to go back home or my partner and I will stop you."

The creature watches her confused. "Why would I leave this place. A world of industry and workforce and warfare. I could turn it into such purpose."

Rose rolled her eyes. It's the same every time, "yeah, I know. By biting Queen Victoria you can use the crown. You want to create the empire of the wolf."

The creature lunges closer to her and grips the bars of his cage. "Look inside your eyes, you've seen it too. The wolf, there's something of the wolf about you."

Rose grins a wolffish grin at him as her eyes glow a soft gold. "That's right, but I wish to hurt no one."

The creature scuttles to the back of his cage away from her. "You burn like the sun, but all I require is the moon."

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"My father," Sir Robert continues. "Didn't treat it as a story, he said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should've listened."

The Doctor noticed the butler move towards the window as Sir Robert continued.

"It's what was hinted at. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of St Catherine. The brethren opposed my fathers investigations." Sir Robert explained.

The Doctor hears the butler start chanting in the background as the Queen interrupts.

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," she suggested.

Sir Robert and the Doctor turned to her. "That's what I thought but now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting us to be kept quiet. What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf."

The Doctor turns his head and stares at the butler as the pieces in his mind starts clicking together. "And what if they were with us right now."

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The cellars doors were flung open and the moon light streamed onto the cage with the creature in. The creature in turn, turns his face towards the moon. "Moonlight."

Rose starts worrying as the creature takes of his robe in preparation for the change. She turns back to those chained with her. "All of yeah, stop looking at it. Flora don't look, listen to me, grab hold of the chain and pull." Rose grabs the chain and starts to pull while the others continue to watch the creature. "Come on with me, pull." The others start to pull with her.

They start to protest when Rose notices Lady Isabel still watching the creature in horror.

"I said pull, stop you whining and listen to me. All of ya and that means you your lady ship. Now come on pull." Lady Isabel and the others all grab hold of the chain and pull for all their worth.

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All those around the table stand and face the butler as he continues to chant.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen demands.

Sir Robert turns back to her. "I'm sorry your majesty. They've got my wife."

The Doctors anger bubbles over as he advances on what he now realises is a monk. "Where's Rose, where is she?" The Doctor realises he won't get anything out of him he turns back to the others. "Sir Robert, come on," he urges as he and Sir Robert run out of the room. The Doctor concentrates on the bond he has with Rose to lead him to her.

The creature starts screaming as his body slowly morphs into a wolf.

Rose yells encouragement to them as they keep pulling the chain. She feels it slowly give but not enough to come out. She feels Bad Wolf lend what strength she has to help and the chain finally gives way.

The Doctor and Sir Robert make it to the cellar and kick the door in to find Rose and the others getting up and ready to run.

Rose glances up, "where the hell have you been?"

After insuring that Rose is fine. And from the way she yelled at him, she is. He turns and faces the wolf just as it fully changes and breaks out of its cage. "That's beautiful."

Rose rolls her eyes at him as she helps get everyone out of the cellar. As the last person leaves the Doctor stands there in awe as the creature towers over him. That is until said creature throws part of the cage at him. He ducks and runs out after the last person leaves, closing the cellar door he locks it with his sonic screwdriver.

He follows the others up to the ground floor as they hear a wolf howling. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to unlock the chains, Rose insisting on him freeing the others first. That was his Rose.

The men all ran to get weapons to fight the wolf off while the Doctor finally freed Rose. They watched as Sir Robert sent the females of to safety.

"It could be any form of light species. Triggered by specific wavelengths." He explained as the last of the chains fell away. "Did it say what it wanted?"

Rose sighed. "The usual. The Queen, the crown, the throne, you name it."

They both turned as they heard a crash come from the direction of the cellar. The Doctor pocketed his sonic screwdriver and moved out into the corridor to get a good look at the werewolf. Rose was close on his heels but stayed just outta sight in case the werewolf said more about Bad Wolf.

The Doctor and the creature seem to have a stand off before the werewolf charges. The Doctor grabs Roses hand and runs behind the men with guns. Stopping he turns to see the werewolf enter the room. "Fire," the steward yells and the men open fire on the wolf.

Rose covers her ears at the loud noise while the wolf appears to run away.

"Alright you men," the Doctor suggests. "We should retreat up stairs. Come with me."

The Steward turns to him. "I'll not retreat, the battles done. There's no creature on Gods earth that can survive such an assault."

The steward moves into the corridor as the Doctor goes after him. "I'm telling you to come upstairs."

"And I'm telling you sir," the steward yells back. "I will sleep well tonight with that things hide on my wall." The steward checks the corridor then turns back to them with a satisfied look on his face. "It must have crawled away to die."

Rose lunges after him as he says that. "Look above you."

The Doctor grabs her and pulls her back as the wolf grabs the steward and rips into him. All he could see was Rose being ripped apart by the wolf. "There's nothing we can do." The Doctor yells as he urges Rose to run.

Rose can feel guilt start to claw at her. If only she had been faster to stop the steward. If only she could fight the Doctor to get the other men out of the way.

Both the TARDIS and Bad Wolf tried to comfort her.** "There's nothing you can do. As always men are too stubborn sometimes to listen to reason." **Bad Wolf tries to explain.

The Doctor felt her wanting to help those men and the guilt when she realised that they can't. His main priority was in making sure Rose was safe, everything else fell into the background.

The Doctor, Rose and Sir Robert ran into the dining room to find the Queen.

"Your majesty," Sir Robert cried. "Your majesty."

"Sir Robert," the Queen called out as she came down the stairs. "What's happening? I heard such terrible noises."

Sir Robert, Rose and the Doctor ran through another doorway leading to the stairwell. They watched the Queen descend the stairs. "Your majesty we have to get out. What've father Angelo?" Sir Robert inquired of the monk in the dining room. "Is he still here?"

"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," the Queen informed them.

The Doctor runs towards them after looking for an exit. "The front doors no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me your majesty, you'll have to leg it out of a window."

The Queen holds her head high and follows them back into the dining room and over to a window.

"Excuse my manners ma'am," Sir Robert apologises. "But I shall go first, the better to assist your majesties egress."

"A noble sentiment, Sir Robert," the Queen agreed.

The Doctors patience snapped. "Yeah, any chance you could hurry up."

Sir Robert climbs up and opens a window when they hear guns going off. They all dive under cover as the bullets hit near them.

The Doctor moves to look out the window. "I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside."

"Do they know who I am?" The Queen demands.

"Yeah," Rose answers. "That's why they want ya. The wolfs lined you up for a biting."

The Queen stares at her in disbelief. "Now stop this talk, it can't be an actual wolf."

Just as the Queen finishes they hear a wolf howling close by. Running back to the stairwell they hear the wolf trying to break down the door the Doctor locked earlier.

"I think it's time to run, Doctor," Rose suggests.

"Right you are, Rose Tyler," the Doctor agrees. He then turns to the Queen. "Right your majesty, as a Doctor I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health."

He holds his hand out for her and she places hers in his. He pulls her along as they run up the stairs with Rose and Sir Robert close behind. They make it up to the second floor as they hear the wolf break through the door and follow them up.

"Come on," the Doctor urges as he leads them down the corridor. The Doctor ducks just as the beast reaches him when captain Reynolds appears from around a corner and shoots the wolf.

"I'll hold this position while you keep going," he urges. "Your majesty, I went to look for the property but it had been taken. The chest was empty.

"I have it," the Queen assures him. "Safe."

"Then remove yourself ma'am," the captain urged. "Doctor you stand as her majesties protector and you Sir Robert, your a traitor to the crown."

"Bullets can't stop it," the Doctor butted in.

"They'll buy you time," the captain insists. "Now run."

Rose tries to reason with him. "You can't," but the Doctor pulls her to follow while she fights him. All she wants to do is save someone, what's the point in repeating the timeline if she can't change something's.

The Doctor pulls her into the library where the others are. They lock the door and barricade it as they hear the captain screaming.

"Wait a minute, Sh Sh Sh, wait," the Doctor urges as they hear the wolf outside. "It's stopped." The Doctor presses his ear to the door and he can sense the wolf on the other side but wonders why the wolf isn't trying to get in. He hears the wolf moving away. "It's gone."

"Listen," Rose urges as they hear the wolf moving around.

"Is this the only door," the Doctor whispers.

"Yes," Sir Robert agrees before remembering a hidden door. "No."

They lunge at the other door and barricade it just before the wolf reaches it.

"Sh," Rose urges again as they hear the wolf moving away. "I wonder what's stopping it?"

The Doctor was wondering the same thing. "Something inside this room." The Doctor thought aloud as he moved around. He ran his fingers slowly along Roses back as he moved passed her. His hearts were still hammering at the near miss she's had and he has to make sure she's really here. "What is it? Why can't he get in?"

Rose moves closer to him. "I'll tell you what though."

"What?" The Doctor inquires as he turns back to her.

"Werewolf," Rose hints.

A grin spreads on the Doctors face. "I know." He pulls her into a hug. "You alright?"

"I'm ok," Rose assures him and sends a burst of assurance through their bond.

The Doctors eyebrows reach his hair line when he feels her send emotions to him. He didn't know she was strong enough to do that. It makes him wonder what else she could do.

"I'm sorry ma'am," Sir Robert breaks into their happy bubble. Everyone then turns to look at him. "It's all my fault. I should've sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong, I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff."

The Doctor shrugs. "Well they were bald, athletic, your wives away. I just thought you were happy."

Rose rolled her eyes at that. Of course he would think something like that.

By this stage the Queen looks upset at not seeing the signs for herself. "What exactly, I pray tell me someone please, what exactly is that creature?"

"You'd call it a werewolf," the Doctor explained. "But technically it's more of a lupine wavelength multi vera form."

"And should I trust you, sir," the Queen continues, getting more and more upset. "You, who change your voice so easily, what happened to your accent?"

The Doctor realised suddenly, in all the commotion he forgot to keep up the Scottish accent. "Oh, right, sorry."

"I'll not have it," the Queen interrupts. "No sir, not you, not that thing. None of it. This is not my world."

A quiet descends on the room as the Queen stops to calm her nerves. The Doctor walks over to the door they boarded up as he noticed something. He raised a hand to run it over the carving in the door. "Mistletoe," he thinks aloud. "Sir Robert did your father put that there?"

"I don't know," Sir Robert shrugged. "I suppose."

The Doctor looked past Sir Robert and saw the same carving on the other door. "It's on the other door too. No a carving wouldn't be enough," he dismissed. "I wonder," he stands up to the door and licks it.

Rose scrunches her nose at him as she hears Bad Wolf snigger. **"I'll tell ya what, I'm not snogging him until he washes his mouth out." **She whispered to Bad Wolf.

"Viscum album," the Doctor exclaimed. "Oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your Dad," the Doctor exclaimed to Sir Robert. "I love him. Powerful stuff mistletoe, bursting with electrons and viscose toxins."

"So the wolf thinks he's allergic to it," Rose hints.

The Doctor grins at her cleverness. "Right you are Rose Tyler. The monkey monk monks need someway of controlling the wolf. Maybe they trained it to react to certain things."

"Never the less," Sir Robert interrupts. "That creature won't give up, Doctor. And we still don't posses any actual weapon."

"Ohhh," the Doctor grimaced. "Your father got all the brains, didn't he."

"Being rude again," Rose points out to try and stop an argument from forming.

"Good, I meant that one," the Doctor agreed. "You want weapons, were in a library. Books, the best weapons in the world." The Doctor turns back to them and puts his glasses on. "This is the greatest arsenal we could have." He grabs some books of the shelves and starts throwing them towards the others. "Arm yourselves."

Rose discreetly watches the Doctor as everyone starts flipping through books to find information about the creature. She smiles to herself, **"he really is gorgeous with those glasses on."** Bad Wolf sniggers.

The Doctor feels a burst of lust coming through his bond with Rose. Looking up he catches Roses eye before she blushes and ducks her head to continue reading. Trying an experiment he sends a thought to her. **"It's really not helping me concentrate when I can feel your emotions."**

He watches closely as he sees Rose startle as she hears his voice in her head. Looking up she notices him watching her carefully, she tries to cover up her expression but fears she wasn't successful.

The Doctor finally realises what he was reading. "Oh," he moves to the desk as the others follow. "Look what ya dad found." He lays the book on the desk so the others can see. "Something fell to earth."

"That's where the creature came from," Rose points out.

"A shooting star," Sir Robert read. "In the year of our lord, 1540. Under the reign of King James the 5th. An almighty fire did burn in the pit. That's the glen of St Catherine's," Sir Robert explained. "By the monastery."

"So that creatures been here over 300 years." Rose hinted.

"Maybe, just a single cell survived," the Doctor suggested. "Adapting slowly down the generations. It survived through the humans, host after host after host."

"But why does it want the throne," Sir Robert queried.

Rose shrugged. "It said it wanted the empire of the wolf."

"Imagine it," the Doctor realised. "Victorian age accelerated. Starships and missiles fuelled by coal and by steam. Leaving history devastated in its wake."

Queen Victoria had finally had enough. "Sir Robert," she demands as she stands up. "If I am to die, here."

"Don't say that," Sir Robert interrupts. "Your majesty."

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me," the Queen explains. "But that's no matter I ask only that you find someplace of safe keeping for something older and more precious than myself."

"Funny time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor interrupts as the Queen reaches into her bag and pulls out a huge diamond.

"Thank you for your opinion," the Queen remarks. "But there is nothing more valuable than this."

"Oh, your majesty," Sir Robert remarks.

The Doctor drops what he's doing as he stares in wonder at the diamond.

"That's the Koh-I-noor," Rose remarks. She had forgotten how stunning the diamond could be.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor agreed as they moved closer. "The greatest diamond in the world."

"Given to me as the spoils of war," the Queen explained. "Perhaps it's legend is coming true. It is said that whoever owns it, must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you wait long enough," the Doctor dismissed as he reached out his hand to hold it. "Can I," the Queen hands it to him as Rose again marvels at its size. "That is so beautiful."

"That must be worth quiet a bit," Rose comments.

"They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week," the Doctor agreed.

"It's a good job my mums not here," Rose jokes. "She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands to get a hold of that thing."

"She'd win," the Doctor agreed as he laughed quietly with Rose.

While they were admiring the diamond, Sir Robert was glancing around. "Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence."

"Why do you travel with it?" The Doctor queried.

"My annual pilgrimage," the Queen explained. "I'm taking it to Halloran and Caru, the royal jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting."

Rose stares in disbelief, "but it's perfect."

"My late husband never thought so," the Queen explained.

"Now there's a fact," the Doctor picked up as he took off his glasses. "Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-noor cut down. It use to be 40% bigger than this but he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

"He always said, the shine was not quiet right." The Queen picked up. "But he died with it still unfinished."

"Unfinished," the Doctors mind starts piecing things together. "Oh, yes," he realises as he throws the diamond back to the Queen. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. Your fathers research," he points to Sir Robert. "And your husband, ma'am," the Doctor points out. "He came here and he sort the perfect diamond. Hold on, oh oh oh, hold on." Rose grins as the Doctor runs his hands through his hair in frustration as he works things out. "All these separate things, there not separate at all. There connected, oh my head, what if this house it's a trap for you. Isn't that right, ma'am?" The Doctor asks.

"Obviously," the Queen agrees.

"At least that's what the wolf intended," the Doctor explained. "But what if there's a trap inside the trap."

"Explain yourself, Doctor," the Queen demands.

The Doctor continues. "What if, his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories, they dared to imagine all this was true and they planned against it. Laid down the real trap not for you but for the wolf."

Dust particles started falling from the ceiling. Looking up everyone sees the glass skylight and the wolf.

"That wolf there," the Doctor points out needlessly as the glass starts cracking. "Run, run, run," he yells as they dismantle the barricade they put in front of the door. They run into the corridor as the glass skylight finally gives way and the wolf falls into the room. "We have to get to the observatory," the Doctor yells as the wolf crashes through the door and chases them.

The Doctor, realising Rose wasn't next to him whirled around to see the wolf getting ready to attack her. His hearts stop beating all together to see the wolf so close to her. Rose feels Bad Wolf rising to protect her from the wolf when out of no where a pot of hot water is thrown at the wolf. The Doctor runs back down the hallway to see where the wolf ran of too.

"It was mistletoe," Lady Isabel explained.

"Isabel," Sir Robert exclaimed as he kissed her quickly on the lips. "Now get back downstairs."

"Keep yourself safe," Lady Isabel demanded before leading the ladies back down to the kitchen.

Rose stood behind the Doctor as he checked the hallway. The Doctor turned unexpectedly and pulled Rose into a crushing hug as he realised how close he was to loosing her. Rose rubbed his back soothingly, "I'm alright." She whispered in his ear repeatedly to calm him down.

Breaking the embrace reluctantly, the Doctor ran back to the others with Roses hand firmly clasped in his. "Come on." He urged.

"The observatories this way," Sir Robert pointed out as they ran down the hallway and up the stairs. All the way to the top.

Bursting through the observatory doors the Doctor exclaimed, "we should find something to barricade these doors. Cause your father wanted the wolf to get inside, I just need time."

"Do your work and I'll defend it," Sir Robert insists.

The Doctor ignored him. "If we can bind these shut with rope or something."

"I said I'll find your time, sir," Sir Robert insisted. "Now get inside."

The Doctor looked into the other mans eyes and saw his courage and determination to make up for letting it get this far. "Good man." The Doctor then ran up to the Queen, "your majesty I need the diamond."

"For what purpose?" She questioned.

"The purpose it was designed for," he answered.

Rose watched the Queen hand over the diamond as she ran to the door and opened them. She saw the wolf round the corner as Sir Robert stood with a sword in hand. The Doctor in seeing what she was doing, yelled at her as she pulled Sir Robert inside while she released the Bad Wolf. As soon as the Bad Wolf felt Rose relax her mind, Bad Wolf surged forward and Roses eyes started glowing as Bad Wolf used her small amount of power to fling the wolf against the far wall and knocking him unconscious.

Rose closed and locked the door behind her as Bad Wolf retreated. **"He will be back in a moment,"** Bad Wolf whispered. Rose felt exhausted but knew she couldn't rest yet.

The Doctor ran to her and started berating her for that foolish act while trying to check her for any injuries. Stopping him she suggested, "isn't there something else you need to work on," she reminded him as she sent a wave of reassurance and calm to him through their connection.

Coming back to his senses he pulled her with him to the telescope. "Lift it, come on." The Doctor urges her as he starts turning the telescope up towards the moon. They struggle to move it as they hear the wolf trying to get in.

Sir Robert stood in front of the Queen with sword in hand while the Queen held up a cross. The Queen started praying to God as the wolf broke down the door and towered over them.

Rose and the Doctor was still struggling to get the telescope into position. They hear it powering up and turn to see the wolf towering over the Queen and Sir Robert. The Doctor dove forward and slid the diamond to catch the moonlight and aim it at the wolf. Rose watches on as a wave of dizziness assaults her. The wolf is engulfed in moonlight as he's lifted into the air. He turns back into the man he would've been if not for the wolf.

The man turns his head slightly towards the Doctor, "make it brighter, let me go." He pleads.

With guilt rising in his hearts, the Doctor moves back towards the light chamber and turns up the magnification of the moonlight. As the light intensifies, the man turns back into the wolf before with a sad howl the wolf disintegrated.

All is silent before the Doctor walks over to pick up the diamond, then goes to hand it back to the Queen when he sees her looking at a cut on her wrist. "Your majesty, did it bite you?"

"No it's, it's a cut," she insists. "That's all."

The Doctor moves closer to her. "If that thing bite you."

"It was a splinter of wood," the Queen interrupted. "When the door came apart. It's nothing."

The Doctor reaches for her hand, "let me see."

She hides it quickly. "It is nothing."

The Doctor watches her suspiciously before turning back to Rose. He took in her pale complexion and the way she was leaning heavily on the light chamber and lunged forward to catch her just as Rose lost the fight to stay conscious and collapsed.

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Rose awoke at dawn the next morning to find the Doctor leaning over her. "Mornin'," she greeted with a small smile.

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor grinned back. "You really are jeopardy friendly aren't ya."

Rose gave him her tongue in teeth smile before realising where they were. "How did we get here."

"Sir Robert gave us a room to sleep in," the Doctor explained. "As thanks for helping them. They seemed scandalised when I told them I didn't need a room cause I was staying with you. Until I explained, I was a doctor and you needed looking after."

The Doctor leaned forward to kiss her when a maid came into the room with breakfast. "Oh, excuse me, sir, ma'am." And promptly retreated.

Rose and the Doctor grinned sheepishly as they felt themselves blush. After they had finished breakfast and the Doctor explained what was going on after she collapsed. They were called to face the Queen.

Walking into the reception room they noticed the queen standing in front of the fireplace and the far end with Sir Robert and Lady Isabel standing on her left and slightly behind. Trying to hold back their grins as they approached the Queen and she asked them to kneel. "By the power invested in me by the church and the state I dub the Sir Doctor of TARDIS." She lay a sword on each of his shoulders then turned to Rose. "By the power invested in me by the church and the state I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell estate." She lay the sword on each of Roses shoulders. "You may stand."

The Doctor and Rose stood as he remarks, "many thanks ma'am."

Rose just stands there grinning. It never gets old being knighted by the Queen.

"Your majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life." The Doctor remarked. "He's protecting you even now ma'am. From beyond the grave."

Rose rolls her eyes as she realises where this is going. She can see the Queen getting that 'I am not amused' face on. He can't resist putting his foot into it.

"Indeed," the Queen agrees. "Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused." Rose starts giggling as she realised the Queen said it anyway as the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Not remotely amused," she continued. "And hence forth, I banish you."

The Doctors smile fell from his face. "I'm sorry."

"I have rewarded you, Sir Doctor," the Queen explained. "And now your exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the two off you or where your from but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is stepped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good and how much longer you may survive this terrible life. Now leave my world and never return."

Rose grabs the Doctors hand and urges him to follow her as they leave the estate. The Doctor himself was in shock that she could banish them after they had saved her life. They had been walking for about half an hour when they came across a farmer with a cart of hay heading their way. He agreed to give them a lift and they jumped on the back.

The Doctor can't believe it, after everything he's done for this world and especially for England. The Queen banished them, mind you she doesn't know about those.

Seeing the TARDIS in the distance, the farmer stops his cart for them to jump off. "Cheers Jimbo," the Doctor calls out before turning to Rose. "The funny thing is Queen Victoria actually did suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record, she's a haemophilic. They use to call it the royal disease but it's always been a mystery cause she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from no where."

"So your saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked sceptically.

"Well maybe hemophilias just a Victorian euphemism," the Doctor suggested.

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" She asked raising her brows.

"Could be," the Doctor agreed. "And her children had the royal disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

"So the royal family are werewolves?" Rose can see the teasing in his eyes.

"Well not yet, a single werewolf cell could take a hundred years," he guessed. "To mature, might be ready by, ooh, early twenty first century."

"Oh please," Rose rolls her eyes. "Mind you princess Anne."

"I'll say no more," the Doctor agrees.

"And if you think about it," Rose was on a roll now. "Their very private, they plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon and we'd never know. Oh and they like hunting, they love blood sports," they start laughing as the Doctor sends the TARDIS back into the vortex. "Oh my god, there werewolves."


	6. Interlude 3

"Well," Rose started. "I'm tired, running away from a werewolf and everything so I might just head of to bed." Rose starts as she moves towards the hallway.

"Rose," the Doctor calls as he watches her closely to see her reaction. "How long have you been able to here words or pass feelings along our bond?"

Sighing Rose turns to face the Doctor. "For awhile now I've been able to send emotions to you. Have you never wondered why you could feel them so strongly?"

The Doctor shrugged, "I just thought your emotions were heightened. You've never heard me in your head before, or my thoughts?"

It was Rose's turn to shrug. "Not until you projected them to me while we were stuck in the library."

The Doctors thoughts turned thoughtful. "I wonder. If we practiced, weather your mind would stretch even further." The Doctor snaps out of his mind and jumps towards Rose, grabbing her hand he pulls her along towards the library. "Come on, let's practice and see how far you can stretch your mind."

Rose rolls her eyes as she dutifully follows the Doctor into the library and over to the love seat. Sitting down she looks to the Doctor.

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A few hours later Rose sat back with an exhausted sigh. "I think that's as much as I can do."

The Doctor seeing how exhausted she was conceded. "Ok, but I would like to teach you ways of protecting your mind from others entering it." The Doctor holds up his hand as Rose opens her mouth to protest. "This is not open for debate, I won't have anyone trying to get into your head."

Rose could feel Bad Wolfs hackles rise as she felt insulted. **To think he actually believes I would let anything happen to you.**

Rose rolled her eyes as she calmed Bad Wolf down. **It's not like he actually knows that your here, remember.**

The Doctor was watching her closely, she had been awfully quiet. "Are you talking to someone?"

Rose jumps as she heard the Doctor ask her something. Blushing, she realised she had been too quiet. "Sorry, the TARDIS was trying to tell me something." Rose apologised for using her as an excuse. She felt the TARDIS's amusement as she faced the Doctor who was pacing agitatedly while debating to himself.

He stopped and faced her suddenly as he finally came to a decision. "Rose, I promised the TARDIS that I wouldn't say anything but I need to ask you a few questions."

Rose wouldn't look at him as she feared what he would ask her. "I'll answer what I can but please trust me when I say that if I can't answer it's not that I don't want to but I can't."

The Doctor spent a few more minutes getting his thoughts in order before turning back to her. "Ok, how long have you been able to hear the TARDIS.?"

Rose sighed. "I've been able to feel her since I stepped into her the first time," Rose answered (technically it's true.) "But only faintly. After the game station I've been able to feel her more and she's sent me pictures. I seem to be able to understand her more though she doesn't talk with words but singing."

"That's in line with your telepathy developing," the Doctor stated as his mind whirled. "Though it is strange that you'd be able to hear her at all unless you may already have a low level telepathy that a few humans develop. Ok, what do you remember about the game station?"

"All off it," Rose stated as the Doctor looked shocked. "It took me a while to remember and most of it came back as dreams but I eventually realised that they were what really happened."

The Doctor swallowed audibly. "So you know about Jack?"

Rose nodded her head. "I know what I did to him and that you left him behind."

The Doctor moved over and hugged her. "It's not your fault, you wanted him to live you just didn't realise that he'd live forever."

Rose let out a humourless laugh, if he only knew. "But I did it anyway."

"You did it out of love," the Doctor assured her. "I on the other hand ran from him," at Roses startled look he explained. "You made Jack so he was a fixed point in time. I know when we can't change anything but a fixed point feels strange to my time senses and that's what Jack feels like. It sounds horrible but it grates against my time senses and the TARDIS reacts badly as well."

It was Roses turn to assure her Time Lord. "I'm not mad, maybe upset that you didn't tell me straight away but I'm not mad. It hurts you to be around him and I don't want you being made uncomfortable."

The Doctor grinned at her in thanks before continuing. "Why can't you tell me something's?"

Rose lost her smile. "Your right there is something going on but please believe me that it's not bad. If I tell you now then it could ruin everything," they both looked to the ceiling as the TARDIS chimed in understanding. "I would love to tell you, you have no idea how hard it is to keep things from you but believe me when I tell you that it'll all work out. I won't let anything happen to either of us," Rose finished as she wiped a few tears away that she didn't realise were there.

The Doctor startled as she finished. "Something's going to happen, isn't it?"

Rose nodded then held up her hand as the Doctor went to say something. "Please trust me that I will explain it all but not yet. Once the threat has passed, I'll be able to tell you."

The Doctor pulled her into a bear hug as he comforted her and assured her that he'll won't mention it again but to let him know if he needs to do anything.

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It was a few weeks later as they were recovering from yet another jail break when the Doctor felt the first pull on a time line. He can't look at his own time line or those he's close too but he can get a general idea at what's happening.

Looking inward he focused on time lines heading in the same direction as his and a lot of them seem to intersect at a time a few months ahead. What shocks him the most is that almost half of the time lines seem to stop and only one thing could do that. They all die.

Wondering if that is what Rose and his TARDIS is so worried about he went to look at the results of the blood test he took from Rose. It worries him that no matter how dangerous the situations they are in, she only comes away with minor wounds. When he reached the med bay he found that the TARDIS had hidden the results.

"Come on old girl," the Doctor whined. "I just want to make sure that she's alright." The TARDIS shocked him as he reached for the blood sample he took. Placing his abused fingers he glared at the walls before storming out. "Fine have it your way."


	7. Old friend and new lover

The Doctor was under the TARDIS console doing some unnecessary repairs, (unnecessary cause Rose can feel the TARDIS grumbling in her mind.) Rose was curled up on the jump seat reading a magazine. They were resting after their last adventure when a ring sounds through the room.

It startles the Doctor into banging his head on the underside of the console. Rose giggles at him as he pouts, Rose looks to the caller ID to see Mickeys name showing. Frowning Rose answers, "ello, Mickey." Rose greets as she watches the Doctors pout turns into a scowl when he realises who's calling.

Unfortunately that means she missed half of what he's talking about, "sorry Mickey. What was that about a school?"

"I've been doing some research on alien things, Rose," Mickey repeats. The Doctor listens in on Roses conversation, thanks to his superior biology, and hears what their talking about. "And I've found a school that's been receiving marks way above the average percentage."

Rose frowns and looks over to see the Doctor has a thoughtful look on his face. "So what's unusual about that?"

"The percentage rose dramatically overnight," Mickey explained. "After about half the staff were replaced."

Rose could feel the interest that the Doctor was even though it didn't show on his face. She smiled slightly knowing he doesn't want to admit that Mickey might have something. She tells Mickey to send the date and place and they would met him there.

Once the text comes through she hands her phone off to the Doctor and he started inputting the coordinates into the TARDIS console. They grin at each other as the Doctor pulls up the lever to send them to their destination.

As they hurtle through the vortex Bad Wolf stirs.** "Yes, you'll have to become a dinner lady again."** She knows Rose is about to pout,** "remember, you are the one that discovered the oil." **Unfortunately Rose couldn't argue with that but it doesn't mean she was happy about it.

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Two days later saw the Doctor posing as a teacher while Rose was working as a dinner lady. He was surprised that Rose never complained about the job he gave her. He heard the bell ring and headed to class to start his lesson. He could feel that something was wrong but not sure what it was.

Walking into the classroom he placed his briefcase on the desk as he faced the students. "Good morning class. Are we sitting comfortably?" The Doctor turns to the whiteboard and writes out physics. "Physics, physics ok. Physics, physics," he repeats while looking around the room wondering who to pick out. "Physics, physics, physics, physics. I hope your all, getting this down? OK, let's see what you know, two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity, hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?"

Only one child puts his hand up.

"Yes, aah what's your name?" The Doctor inquired.

"Milo," the child answered.

"Milo," the Doctor agreed.

"They'd repel each other," Milo answered. "Cause they have the same charge."

"Correctamondo," the Doctor agreed before realising what he said. "A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two, I've got a thin piece of micro wire and I place it in a glass of water then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water temperatures affected. My question is this, how do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Milo raises his hand again. "Someone else," the Doctor suggests before realising no one else is willing to put there hands up. In fact they all looked bored, "nope ok. Milo go for it."

"Measure the current ampED using an amp meter and volt meter," Milo answers.

"Two to Milo," the Doctor agrees. "Right then Milo tell me this, true or false. The greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings?"

"False," Milo answers straight away.

"What is non coding DNA," the Doctor tests while folding his arms.

"DNA that doesn't code for a protein," Milo answers immediately.

"Sixty five thousand nine hundred and eighty three times five," the Doctor rattles of fast.

"Three hundred and twenty nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen," Milo answers too quickly for a normal human child.

"How can you travel faster than light?" The Doctor continues to test.

"By honing a quantum tunnel with an N factor of 36.7 recurring," Milo answers.

Now the Doctor knows that somethings wrong cause no human in this time period could possibly know that especially a child. The Doctor sighs in disappointment. It seems Mickey the idiot was right and he's definitely not saying that to anyone especially Mickey. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head he continues on with the rest of his lesson until the bell rings for lunch.

The Doctor walks into the cafeteria and grins slightly at seeing Roses unhappy look. Lining up for lunch he moves down the line gathering different items to eat until he reaches Roses station. Their eyes met and he grins cheekily at her while she gives him her not amused look before he turns around to find a place to sit. The Doctor tries one of the chips as he sees Rose approaching with a cloth.

Rose not liking the fact that she has to be a dinner lady again complains, "two days."

"Sorry, there's a bit of gravy," the Doctor points out but shuts his mouth when Rose gives him a look that says if you utter one more word I will take great pleasure in slapping you. He winced when he felt her annoyance spike in his head as well.

"Two days we've been here," Rose reminds him.

"Blame Mickey," the Doctor tells her. "He's the one that put us onto this. He was right," the Doctor grudgingly admitted. "Boy in class this morning, got knowledge way beyond planet earth."

Rose points to the chips as she sits down. "You eaten those chips?"

"Yeah," the Doctor makes a face. "There a bit different."

"I think there gorgeous," Rose replies. "Wish I had lunches like these."

"It's very behaved, this place," the Doctor comments looking around. As he's looking the other way he misses the flash of gold in Roses eyes and the slight wince as pain flares in her head.

**"I think you better stop eating those chips,"** Bad Wolf warns her. **"It's causing our power to fluctuate."** Rose immediately stops eating them.

"I thought there would be happy slapping hoodies," the Doctor continues not noticing Roses reaction to the chips that she usually loves. "Happy slapping hoodies with asboes. Happy slapping hoodies with asboes and ring tones. Yeah, oh yeah, don't tell me I don't fit in." He grins at Rose as she shakes her head.

That's when they see the head dinner lady approaching them. "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."

Rose sighs and stands back to her feet while pointing to the Doctor. "I was just talking to this teacher."

"Hello," the Doctor greets her with a smile.

"He doesn't like the chips," Rose explains.

The head dinner lady wasn't impressed. "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance, now get back to work." She demands before heading off.

Rose sighs as she obeys before turning back to the Doctor. "See, this is me. Dinner lady."

"I'll have the crumble," the Doctor yells to her with a smirk.

"I'm so gonna kill you," Rose tells him as she walks off knowing that he can hear her.

The Doctor then watches another teacher walk to a nearby table full with students. He uses his superior time lord hearing to listen in. "Melissa, you'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me so it's time we moved you up to the top of the class." The Doctors mind started whirling at the mention of Milo's name. "Kenny, not eating the chips?"

"I'm not allowed," a child, Kenny, the Doctor assumed answered.

The Doctor watches as the teacher leaves the cafeteria again. That's when he notices Mr Finch the headmaster standing on a balcony looking down on all the students.

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Rose was washing the dishes after lunch when she hears something. Looking around the corner she sees the cafeteria ladies pushing a barrel of Krillitane oil and treating it like poison which to them it is. Roses mobil rings then which startles her. She sees that it's Mickey so she answers. "What 'ave you got?"

"Confirmation," Mickey explains. "I've just got into army records. Three months ago, massive UFO activity, they logged over 40 sightings. Lights in the sky, all of that. Can't get any photos cause then it's all classified, secret, keeps locking me out."

"Tell you what though," Rose suggests. "Three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced and this lot are weird."

"See, there's definitely something going on," Mickey gloats. "I was right to call you."

"Yeah," Rose agreed as she looked back to the dinner ladies when she hears them spill a barrel of the oil, some of it lands on one of them and she starts to smoke.

"I've got to go," Rose tells Mickey as she moves forward to help. Rose watches them hustling the dinner lady into a little office, closing the door and blinds.

The head dinner lady comes back out and addresses Rose. "What ya doing?"

"Do you need me to call an ambulance?" Rose queries though knows what she'll say.

"No need," she assures Rose. "She's quiet all right." A flash and more screaming comes through the doorway behind her before it quiets down once again. "It's fine, she does that."

The head dinner lady heads back into the office as Bad Wolf pipes up. **"Yeah, cause that's really convincing."** Rose grins and silently agrees.

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The Doctor was relaxing in the staff room as he was listening to another teacher when Mr Finch walked in. His grin grew wider when he saw who was walking in behind him. He'd recognise her anywhere.

"Excuse me, colleagues. A moment of your time," Finch interrupts. "May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist who is writing a profile about me for the Sunday times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes."

The Doctor watches Sarah Jane make her way towards him. "Hello," she greets.

"Oh, I should think so," the Doctor blurts out then has to mentally roll his eyes at himself. He hasn't seen her in thirty odd years (in her time) and that's all he has to say.

"And you are?" Sarah Jane questions.

"Aah, Smith. John Smith," the Doctor stumbles.

**"What's up with you, Doctor?"** Rose sends to his mind. She could feel his happiness leaking through their bond.

**"Just met someone I haven't seen in awhile,"** he sent back. **"Tell ya about it later."** He felt Roses mind caress his as he felt her withdraw. He'll never get use to how easy she picked up telepathy and how right it feels to have her in his mind.

Sarah Jane broke him out of his thoughts. "John Smith," Sarah Jane reminisced. "I use to have a friend who sometimes went by that name."

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, it's a very common name."

"He was a very uncommon man," Sarah continued. "Nice to met you."

"Nice to met you, yes," the Doctor agreed enthusiastically while shaking her hand. "Very nice, more than nice, brilliant."

"Um so," Sarah Jane started as she looked around. "Have you worked here long?"

"No," the Doctor answered. "It's only my second day."

"Oh, your new then," Sarah Jane sounded disappointed. "So what do you think of the school? I mean this new curriculum? So many children getting ill, doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile?" The Doctor pointed out.

"Well no harm in a little investigation, while I'm here," Sarah Jane pointed out.

"No, good for you," the Doctor agreed. "Good for you," the Doctor finished as Sarah Jane moved off to introduced herself to other members of the staff.

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Later that day the Doctor, Rose and Mickey met up outside by the TARDIS. The Doctor grabbed Rose into a bear hug and kissed her before bounding into the TARDIS and up to the console.

Slightly dazed by the kiss Rose wanders in after him with Mickey trailing with an unhappy pout. "Someone's in a good mood?" Rose questions as she feels the TARDIS question his mood.

"I met Sarah Jane today," the Doctor answered as he moves around the console preparing to send the TARDIS inside a supply cupboard in the school so they can snoop around tonight.

Mickey scoffs at that answer. "Who's she? Another companion in a long line."

The Doctors smile falls as he realises that Rose might not be too happy with him. But Rose surprises him again by turning to Mickey and whacking him on the back of his head. "You, be nice. The Doctors lived a long time so of course he's had companions before me. The Doctor only takes the best so I'm sure she's charming." Turning to the Doctor she grabs his arm and drags him out of the console room to the library. "While we're waiting for dark how about you tell me more about her?"

The Doctor is snapped out of his dazed look by Roses question. He always knew Rose was special he just didn't know how much until now. The Doctor flops down onto the love seat and grins as Rose snuggles up to him while Mickey sits in an armchair pouting with his arms crossed. The Doctor proceeds to tell them all about Sarah Jane.

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That night the Doctor, Rose and Mickey start snooping around the school. "It's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong. When I was a kid I use to think all the teachers slept in school," Rose grins.

"All right team," the Doctor addresses them. "Oh, I hate when people say team. Um, gang, um comrades. Anyway, Rose go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all maths teachers, go and check out the maths department. I'm going to look in Finch's office, met back here in 10 minutes." The Doctor takes the stairs to the second floor.

"You gonna be alright?" Rose questions Mickey.

Mickey huffs, "me, please. Infiltrate and investigation. I'm an expert at this," and he moves off as Rose watches him with a small smile. Mickey stops suddenly and heads back to Rose. "Where's the maths department?"

Rose points the way. "Down there, turn right then left, trough the fire doors and on the right."

"Thank you," Mickey acknowledges.

The Doctor was heading to Finch's office when he hears a noise that sounds like wings, turning around he sees a shadow moving. Following the shadow he notices Sarah Jane.

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Rose meanwhile had made it to the cafeteria and opened one of the barrels. Pulling out a container and spoon the Doctor gave her, she scooped some off the oil into the container and secured the lid.

Hearing a noise and seeing a shadow Rose decides that it's time to head back to the Doctor.

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The Doctor noticed Sarah Jane was heading towards where he parked the TARDIS. He watched her as she walked into the storage closet and waited for her to come back out again. When she did eventually come out she had a shocked look on her face only for her to turn around and come face to face with the Doctor.

"Hello, Sarah Jane," the Doctor greeted.

"It's you," Sarah Jane exclaimed. "Doctor, oh my god it's you. You've regenerated."

"Half a dozen times," the Doctor agreed. "Since we last met."

"You look incredible," Sarah Jane stammered.

"So do you," the Doctor agreed.

Sarah Jane shrugged it off, "I got old." A thoughtful look came over her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," the Doctor hedged. "UFO sighting, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. What about you?"

"Same," Sarah Jane agreed. Her face changes suddenly and she looks upset. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and when you didn't come back I thought you must've died."

"I lived," the Doctor deadpanned as he felt the pain raising yet again. "Everyone else died," The Doctor felt a golden presence envelop his mind and knew that Rose had sensed his pain and as always was trying to help.

Sarah Jane looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone died Sarah," the Doctor managed to get out, it helped feeling Rose in his mind along with the TARDIS.

"Can't believe it's you," Sarah Jane whispered before a piercing scream echoed down the corridor. "Ok, now I can," Sarah Jane exclaimed as they ran towards the sound.

On the way they ran into Rose. "Did you hear that?" Rose inquired before noticing Sarah Jane. "Oh, hello. You must be Sarah Jane?" Rose holds out her hand and Sarah Jane hesitantly shakes it. "I'm Rose Tyler."

"You can tell your getting older," Sarah Jane teases. "Your assistance are getting younger."

Rose raised her brow as the Doctor looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Is that what he called you, an assistant?" Rose asked before turning to the Doctor. "What ever happened to calling them friends?"

The Doctor decides that the best way to stop them from talking was to run towards the scream they heard. Taking off again he breaths a sigh when Rose and Sarah Jane follow.

They come upon Mickey in front of a cupboard with vacuum packed rats littering the floor around him. "Sorry, sorry it was only me." Mickey apologised. "You told me to investigate so I thought I would look into some of these cupboards and all these fell out on me."

The Doctor knelt down to get a better look at them as Rose comments. "Oh my god, there rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats."

"And you decided to scream," the Doctor taunted Mickey.

"It took me by surprise," Mickey insisted.

"Like a little girl," the Doctor continued.

"It was dark," Mickey reasoned. "I was covered in rats."

The Doctor continued when he glimpsed Rose trying to hold back a smile. "9 maybe 10 years old. I'm seeing pig tails, frilly skirt."

Rose manages to hold in her laughter and directs them back to the situation at hand. "Hello, can we focus. Has anyone noticed something strange about this. Rats in school?"

"Well obviously they use them in biology lessons, they dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet?" Sarah Jane snarks.

The Doctor held his breathe, waiting for Rose to snap back but was surprised when she let it pass her by and instead stated very matter of factly. "No one dissects rats in school anymore, they haven't done that for years."

"Everything started when Mr Finch arrived," the Doctor thought out loud. "We should go and check his office." He throws a vacuum packed rat to Mickey who catches it before realising what it is and drops it in a hurry.

The Doctor moves off, back the way they came with everyone else scrambling to catch up. Rose and Sarah Jane end up in front while the Doctor trails behind with Mickey. The Doctor was starting to worry about Rose and Sarah Jane near each other.

"So I hear you use to travel with the Doctor?" Rose asks.

"Yes I did, in his third and forth form," Sarah Jane agrees.

"Oh," Rose exclaimed. "So you know about regeneration?"

Sarah Jane gave her an understanding look. "Yeah, it's hard on people closets to him."

The Doctor started thinking it was a bad idea introducing the two woman as they moved off.

Mickey comes up beside him and places a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, the misses and the ex. Welcome to every mans worst nightmare."

They make it to Finches office and the Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to unlock the Door. "I wonder if those rats were food?"

"Food for what?" Mickey asks.

The Doctor pokes his head in to make sure it's safe. Hearing a noise he looks up to see bat shaped aliens hanging from the ceiling. "Rose, you know how you use to think the teachers slept in school." He moved out of the way so the others could see. "Well, they do."

All four of them stood there staring at the massive bat creatures.

"No way," Mickey freaked out and ran away. The others followed more slowly with the Doctor leaving last as he closes and locks the door behind them. They make it outside as Mickey exclaimed. "I am never going back in there. No way."

Rose watches as Sarah Jane and the Doctor wander out. "Those were the teachers?"

"Right, the principle brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen, thirteen big bat people. Come on," the Doctor finished as he moves to head back inside.

"Come on," Mickey repeated. "You've got to be kidding me."

The Doctor, Rose and Sarah Jane turned back to face him. "I need the TARDIS, I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."

"I might be able to help you with that," Sarah Jane interrupts. "I've got something to show you." She grabs his arm and pulled him over to her car.

Opening the boot, the Doctor removed a blanket from a tin dog. "K9," the Doctor exclaimed happily. "Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith allow me to introduce you too K9. Well, K9 mark 3 to be precise."

Rose could feel his happiness and smiled at him indulgently. "Why does he look so, disco." She teases.

"Oi," the Doctor acted offended, though he can see and feel her teasing him. "Listen, in the year 5 thousand this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?"

Sarah Jane sighed. "One day he just, nothing."

"Didn't you try to get him repaired?" The Doctor whined.

Both Rose and Sarah Jane rolled their eyes. "It's not like getting parts from metro. Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."

"Oh, what's the nasty little lady done to you, aye," the Doctor asked K9 in a baby voice.

Rose rolled her eyes again as she felt the TARDIS and Bad Wolf snigger.** "He's almost as bad with the dog as he is with the TARDIS. At least the TARDIS can answer back."**

The Doctor closed the boot and hops into Sarah Janes car. Sarah Jane drives them to a little dinner where the Doctor pulls tools out off his trans-deminsonal pockets and sets about fixing K9.

Rose orders chips at the counter as she watches the Doctor and Sarah Jane reminisce.

Mickey decides then to remark. "What's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said, I told you so."

Rose rolled her eyes. "The Doctor told me all about her and how much she helped him."

Mickey wasn't listening as he was on a roll. "Though I have prepared a little I was right dance that I could show you later."

"2 quid, love," the sales lady interrupted.

Rose hands over the money as she takes the chips from her and Mickey follows her to a window seat. "All this time you were given us, 'he's different' but the truth is, he's just like any other bloke."

"You don't know what your talking about," Rose sighs.

"Maybe not," Mickey concedes. "But if I were you, I'd go easy on the chips."

While Mickey was trying to get Rose to crack her friendly attitude and admit she was jealous. The Doctor and Sarah Jane were having their own conversation.

"I thought of you often," Sarah Jane admits. "On Christmas Day, this Christmas just gone. Great big spaceship overhead and I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there."

"Right on top of it yeah," the Doctor agreed as flashes of that day flew past his mind. The most prominent of which was the whisper he heard and still hears in his sleep. His Rose whispering 'help me.'"

"And Rose," Sarah Jane suggested.

"She was there too," the Doctor agreed. Ignoring the slightly jealous note in Sarah Jane's voice.

He heard Sarah Jane sigh and knew an uncomfortable conversation was about to come his way. He felt Rose send him a burst of affection and it boosted his confidence enough.

"Did I do something wrong?" Sarah Jane asked sadly. "Cause you never came back for me, you just dumped me."

"I told you," the Doctor tried to explain. "I was called by the council, and in those days humans weren't allowed."

"I waited for you," Sarah Jane continued. "I missed you."

"Oh," the Doctor scoffed. "You didn't need me. You were getting on with your life."

"You were my life," Sarah Jane blurted out.

The Doctor stared at her shocked as he felt guilt enter his mind. Then he felt Rose enter his mind and push the guilt away again. **"Don't you dare feel guilty, all you want to do is show people the wonders of the universe. You show them how to live, what they choose to do is up to them."**

"Do you know what the most difficult thing was," Sarah Jane continued on, unaware of Rose talking to him through their bond. "Coping with what comes next. What doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the Galaxy. You showed me, supernovas and intergalactic battles. And then you just dropped me back on earth. How could anything compare to that."

With Roses confidence in him he asked. "All those things you saw, you want me to apologise for that?"

"No," Sarah Jane snapped back. "But, when you get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back."

"But look at you," the Doctor comments. "Your investigating. You found that school, your doing what we always did."

Sarah Jane deflated a bit. "You could've come back."

"I couldn't," the Doctor insisted.

"Why not?" Sarah Jane inquired.

The Doctor felt the pain of the time war trying to smother his mind in darkness. And once again he felt Roses soothing golden presence smooth out that side of his mind as she pushed it back where it belonged.

"It wasn't Croydon," Sarah Jane spoke up. "Where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon."

The Doctor continued working on K9 as he asked, "where was it?"

"Aberdeen," Sarah Jane explained.

The Doctor felt Rose and the TARDIS both mentally roll their eyes at his bad driving habits. "Oh, right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" K9 starts working then. "Oh, hey now where in business."

"Master," K9 greets.

"He recognises me," the Doctor exclaimed happily.

"Affirmative," K9 agrees.

The Doctor beckons Rose over, "Rose give us the oil."

Rose and Mickey wander over and Rose hands him the oil. The Doctor opens the lid and dips his finger in the oil then smears it onto K9's analyser. (Which looks suspiciously like a sucker.)

"Here we go," the Doctor warns. "Come on boy, here we go."

"Ex-ex-expect an-an-analysing," K9 stutters.

"That is so bad," Mickey laughs. "That voice."

"Careful," Sarah Jane glares. "That's my dog."

Rose could feel the Doctors annoyance as he directs a glare at Mickey as well. Rose rests her hand on his arm while simultaneously soothing his mind and feels him relaxing a bit.

"Confirmation of analysis," K9 continues garnering everyone's attention again. "Substance is, Krillitane oil."

The Doctors mind races suddenly as his knowledge about the Krillitanes came forward. "Their Krilitanes."

Rose can see and feel the seriousness of the situation, "is that bad."

"Very," the Doctor agrees. "Think of how bad things could be and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane questioned.

The Doctors demeanour changed into teacher mode. "Their a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries. People you've invaded or been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same, an amalgam of the races they've conquered, but they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognise them," the Doctor realised. "The last time I saw Krillitanes they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"Could they be using the children," Rose points out.

The Doctor grins at her quickly before turning serious again. "Their doing something to the children."

Mickey helps Sarah Jane carry K9 out to her car while the Doctor and Rose talk.

"So you didn't just travel with humans," Rose teases, hoping to lighten the Doctor up. "I hope your not planning on leaving me behind." Rose still has a fear that he might just do that.

"No, not to you," the Doctor assured her as he sent her reassurance through their bond.

"I know," Rose tried to rid herself of the irrational fear. "You were close to Sarah Jane once, I just worry sometimes that you might do that to me. I know you won't but it's a fear that I need to overcome."

"I don't age," the Doctor tried to explain. "I regenerate. But humans decay, you wither and you die. Imagine that happening to someone you love. You can spend the rest of your life with me but I can't spend the rest of mine with you."

"You might be surprised," Rose mutters not realising she said it out loud.

This time the Doctor catches her slip up. "What was that?"

Rose, realising he heard her and tries to back track. "Nothing."

"You said, 'you might be surprised.' What aren't you telling me?" The Doctor demands. "Ever since I met you, strange things have been happening and I know you keep saying that you can't tell me but it's frustrating knowing that your hiding something."

Rose starts panicking, she was afraid this might happen. "I just," Rose paused as tears started to well in her eyes. "Maybe there's a way to stay with you longer."

The Doctor knows somethings not right, he can feel her starting to panic. "Believe me there's not, I should know cause that's the curse of the Time Lords." The Doctor turns and looks up suddenly as he hears a whisper to find Finch and a Krillitane watching them.

Mickey and Sarah Jane run up to them as the Krllitane shrieks and dives towards them. They all duck as the Krillitane flies over them and watch as it flies off into the sky.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane questions.

"Yeah," the Doctor agrees. "That's a Krillitane."

Sarah Jane offers for them to spend the night at her place while their waiting for the school to open in the morning.

Mickey went straight to bed while Rose stayed up with the Doctor while he did some jiggery-pokery on K9. Eventually she fell asleep on the sofa, seeing this the Doctor laid his coat over her and grinned softly as she snuggled up to his coat with a small grin on her face.

The next morning Sarah Jane walked into the lounge passed Rose who was still sleeping and into the dining room to find the Doctor still tinkering with K9. She notices, every few minutes he looks at Rose before turning back to K9.

"Mornin' Doctor," Sarah Jane greets.

"Good morning, Sarah Jane," the Doctor replies grinning at her before sneaking a peek at Rose again. All night he been distracted by thoughts as mundane as weather she's cold or not too the how gorgeous she looks while sleeping.

Noticing where he's looking, Sarah Jane can't help but ask, "what is it about her that's been able to capture your hearts so completely?" She holds up her hand when she sees him about to protest. "I know you love her, I can see it every time you look at her. I can also see that she loves you too."

Sighing the Doctor admits, "I don't know. I was so broken after the time war. I was still saving people but I would throw myself into more and more dangerous situations, I just wanted the pain to end." The Doctor looked back at Rose then and smiled, "then I met a simple shop girl and from the moment I grabbed her hand and told her to run. The pain stopped, she gave me a reason to live. I know theres something she's hiding but I can't bring myself to let her go."

Sarah Jane places a comforting hand on his shoulder as they both noticed Rose starting to stir. Sarah Jane moves to make breakfast as she hears Rose and the Doctor talking. She finally feels like she can move on with her life now she realises what she loved most about the doctor was the travelling. Now the Doctor finally has someone that loves him for who he is.

After Mickey wakes up and they have breakfast they all pile into Sarah Janes car and drive back to the school. Walking up to the front doors, they stop as the bell to start the school day rings.

"Rose and Sarah you go to the maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside." The Doctor orders as he hands the sonic screwdriver to Sarah Jane. "Here you might need this."

Rose tries not to feel jealous that he gave Sarah Jane the sonic and not her. She knows what they both mean to him. She felt the Doctor give her a warm caress through their bond and she felt much better.

"Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside," the Doctor orders as the other three move towards the school.

"What so I'm suppose to stay out here," Mickey complains.

"You could keep K9 company," Sarah Jane replies as she throws him her keys.

"Don't forget to leave a window open a crack," the Doctor can't help but add.

"What, but he's metal," Mickey yells back confused.

"I didn't mean for him," the Doctor digs.

Rose sends the Doctor an admonishment through their bond before asking, "what you gonna do?"

"It's time I had a word with Mr Finch," the Doctor explains.

As Rose and Sarah Jane move off to the maths department the Doctor goes looking for Mr Finch. Stopping at the top of a stair case he looks down to find Mr Finch staring back at him. He follows him into the swimming pool area to see Mr Finch already on the other side.

"Who are you?" The Doctor questions.

"My name is brother Lassa," Mr Finch answers. "And you."

"The Doctor," he answers. "Since when do Krillitanes have wings?"

Mr Finch starts walking slowly around the pool. "It's been our form for nearly 10 generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bisan, the people there had some very lovely wings. They made a million feathers in one day, just imagine."

The Doctor moved with him to keep the pool between them. "And now your shapes human."

"Ooh, a personal favourite," he dismissed. "That's all."

"And the others?" The Doctor asked, trying to dig for information.

"My brothers remain in bat form," Mr Finch explained. "What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath. And what of the time lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race, ancient, dusty senators. So frightened of change and chaos. But of course their all extinct," Mr Finch tried to dig. "Only you, the last."

Every time the pain from the time war tries to overwhelm him a golden presence that is distinctly Rose smoothers it and instead he's filled with her love for him. "This plan of yours, what is it?"

"You don't know," Mr Finch exclaims.

"That's why I'm asking," the Doctor agrees.

"Well show me how cleaver you are," Mr Finch challenges. "Work it out."

They finally come face to face. "If I don't like it, then I will stop you."

"Fascinating," Mr Finch compliments. "Your people were peaceful to the point of insolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"

"I'm so old now," the Doctor warns. "I use to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it." The Doctor turns to walk away.

"And we're not even enemies," Mr Finch comments. "Soon you will embrace us."

The Doctor turns back around trying to figure out what he means by that.

"The next time we met, you will join with me," Mr Finch comments confidently. "I promise you."

The Doctor watches him leave while his minds running through so many reasons why he feels confident that the Doctor would join him. Shaking the feeling off he heads to find Sarah Jane and Rose.

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In the maths department Sarah Jane managed to get the back of the hard drive but she can't seem to get the sonic screwdriver to work. She pulls back in frustration, "it's not working."

"Here let me try," Rose offers. Sarah Jane reluctantly hands it over and Rose bends down to try.

"Use to work first time in my day," Sarah Jane comments, letting some off her jealousy leak through.

Rose feels Bad Wolf give a mental equivalent of an eye roll but Rose refused to comment.

"Rose," Sarah Jane continues. "Can I give you a bit of advice."

"Let me stop ya right there," Rose counters as she holds up her hand. "I know what ya gonna say but things are different." Rose pauses as she feels Bad Wolf wanting to explain, Rose agrees it would probably be better if Bad Wolf did explain.

Sarah Jane stares in shock as Roses eyes start to glow gold._ "Sarah Jane," _Bad Wolf greets._ "I am an entity known as Bad Wolf or the Time Guardian. I look after all that is, all that was, all that ever could be. I choose the Doctor as my champion because he was willing to do what the rest of the Time Lords would not. To protect this universe and all those beings in her. I choose each and every companion of his based on what he needed at the time,"_ walking up to Sarah Jane she placed a hand on her shoulder._ "I choose you because of your heart just as I choose each of his other companions because of their hearts. Then I saw the time war and what would happen to my Doctor because of it. So I searched and I searched through all of time and space looking for that one person that could help him, pull him back from despair."_

"And you choose her?" Sarah Jane asked sadly.

Bad Wolf nodded. _"The Doctor has a great capacity for love. He cares for all his companions very deeply and he never forgets them but Rose. Rose is the one being I could see, who he could possibly fall in love with. He's never been in love so deeply, if it came down to the universe or Rose Tyler he doesn't know what he'll do. It's that love that saved him from the darkness, it's Rose Tyler's love for him that saves him even now."_

Rose still with her hand on Sarah Janes shoulder starts swaying as she feels Bad Wolf recede.

Sarah Jane, realising that the golden glow has gone which means Rose is back to herself asks, "you have an entity inside you?"

"Yep," Rose agrees popping the p.

"How long for?" Sarah Jane pries.

"My whole life," Rose answers honestly. Seeing the shocked look on Sarah Janes face she quickly explains. "Bad Wolf was preparing me to hold the time vortex. Every year she would send a small burst of the vortex through me. Until last year, I took the entire time vortex into myself to save the Doctor and now my connection to Bad Wolf and the TARDIS is a lot stronger. But you can't tell the Doctor," Rose whispered urgently. "He can't know just yet."

"Why ever not?" Sarah Jane queries, confused.

"There's something coming, something that's trying to pull us apart. I don't want him to have a chance at us spending his forever together then having to lose it. It would destroy him." Rose explained.

Sarah Jane nods her head that she understands. She knows it's what the Doctor has always looked for and then to find it only to have it taken away would be too much for him.

Rose changes the subject to try and lighten the mood. "So go on, lets compare notes on the monsters we've met."

"Mummies," Sarah Jane grins.

Rose laughs, "I met ghosts."

"Robots, lots of robots," Sarah Jane ups the anti.

"Slitheen, in Downing Street," Rose counters.

Sarah Jane starts getting excited, "Daleks."

"Meet the Emperor," Rose counters again.

"Anti matter monsters," Sarah Jane tries again.

"Gas mask zombies," Rose grins back.

"Real living dinosaurs," Sarah returns her grin.

"Real living werewolf," Rose offers up.

"The Loch Ness monster," Sarah tries again.

Rose stops suddenly, "seriously."

They start laughing at the silly game they were playing.

"It's a mad life we lead with the Doctor," Rose comments.

"Yeah, he sure knows how to show someone the universe," Sarah Jane agrees.

"With you," Rose asks. "Did he do that thing where he would explain something at like 90 miles per hour and you'd go 'what' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

"All the time," Sarah Jane agreed laughing. "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yes," Rose exclaimed laughing. "I'm like do you two want to be alone."

Unfortunately it was at that moment that the Doctor entered the classroom. "How's it going?"

Rose and Sarah Jane are laughing so much that they couldn't answer.

"What?" The Doctor looks at them confused. "Listen I need to find out what's programmed inside these."

Every time they looked at the Doctor to answer they would burst into laughter again.

Now the Doctors really confused. "What? Stop it." The Doctor couldn't seem to understand what was going on with them.

A buzzer suddenly sounds through out the school._ "All pupils shall return to class. Will all members of staff please congregate in the staff room."_ Rose and Sarah Jane stopped laughing as they were bright back to why they were there.

Rose moves passed the Doctor while handing him his sonic screwdriver, to stop the pupils from entering. "Nope, no, no. This classrooms out of bounds. You all got to go to the south hall. Off you go," she closes the door behind her.

Rose moves back to where the Doctor is pulling apart the computer on the teachers desk. "I can't shift it," the Doctor complains.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything," Sarah Jane questions.

"Anything except a deadlock seal," the Doctor explained. "There's got to be something inside here. What are they teaching these kids?"

Suddenly all the computers in the maths department start up and a green box shows as well as symbols Rose has never seen before. She can feel the Doctors concern as well when he realises what it means.

"Well you wanted the program," Sarah Jane pointed out. "There it is."

"That's a code isn't it?" Rose asks.

"Yep," he agrees popping the p before turning grim. "No," he exclaimed. "No that can't be. The skasis paradigm."

Sarah Jane turns to him. "The skasis what?"

"The god maker," the Doctor explained. "The universe theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"So there using the kids like a giant computer," Rose questioned.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. Something clicks in the Doctors mind suddenly. "And their learning powers been accelerated by the oil. The oil from the kitchen works as a sort off, as a, conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"So that's why the oil on the chips taste funny," Rose guesses. "Oh my god."

Sarah Jane looks between them confused. "But why use the children. Can't they use us?"

"No," the Doctor continued. "It's gotta be children. The god maker needs imagination to crack it. Their not just using the children's brains to break the code. Their using their souls."

Mr Finch suddenly enters the classroom behind the Doctor. "Let the lesson begin."

The Doctor whirls to face him.

"Think of it, Doctor. With the paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We could shape the universe and improve it." Finch insists.

"Oh yeah," the Doctor stats sarcastically. "The whole of creation with the face of Mr Finch. Call me old fashioned but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical," Mr Finch comments, confused. "Yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What by someone like you," the Doctor scoffed.

"No," Mr Finch insisted. "Someone like you. The paradigm gives us power but you could give us wisdom. Become a god at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save, perganon, asinta, your own people, Doctor. Standing tall, the Time Lords reborn."

Sarah Jane stepped forward. "Doctor, don't listen to him."

Mr Finch moves to her. "And you, you could be with him through out eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never die. Their lives are so fleeting, so many goodbyes, how lonely you must be Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone," the Doctor stats. Rose starts panicking as she sees the faces of people he's lost over his lives through their bond. She tries to send him reassurance but she's not sure if it would work.

"Yes," Mr Finch continues to entice.

"I could stop the war," the Doctor continued.

"No," Sarah Jane tried to explain as Rose tried to get through to him, through their bond. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world or a relationship. Everything has its time and everything ends."

He can feel Roses desperation suddenly as he finally feels the emotions she's trying to portray to him. Then he replays Sarah Janes words over in his head and he snaps out of it. Grabbing a nearby chair he throws it at the big screen at the front of the classroom that's showing the paradigm. All the computers in that classroom shut off suddenly.

"Out," the Doctor yells as he grabs Roses hand and urges her and Sarah Jane to run. They hear Mr Finch calling for the other Krillitanes as they run down the stairs.

They meet Mickey and a student the Doctor remembers is named Kenny at the bottom. "What is going on?" Mickey asks as they notice the Krillitanes heading towards them.

Turning they dash down another hallway and into the cafeteria. They run to the doors that head outside but find them locked. The Doctor reaches into his jacket pocket to pull out the sonic screwdriver but before he can get it out Mr Finch walks in, along with the Krillitanes in their natural form.

"Are they the teachers?" Sarah Jane asks.

"Yep," the Doctor confirms. "Sorry."

"We need the Doctor alive," Mr Finch informs the others. "As for the others, you can feast."

Rose dives for cover under a table while the Doctor picks up a chair to defend himself.

**"Sorry Rose,"** Bad Wolf apologises. **"I can't help, if they knew I was here, they wouldn't need the paradigm."**

A laser appears out of no where and shots one of the Krillitanes down. Looking over the Doctor feels a smile growing when he sees K9.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," K9 suggests as he continues to shot at the Krillitanes.

"Come on," the Doctor urges as they use the distraction K9 presented them with and they run out of the nearest doors and back into a corridor.

They run down a hallway and into a classroom, the Doctor locking the door with the sonic screwdriver. "We could use the oil," the Doctor suggested. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it," the Doctor exclaims. "They've changed their physiology so often even their own oil is toxic to them. How much oil was in the kitchens?" He directs to Rose.

"Barrels of it," Rose answers.

They all turn towards the door as they hear the Krillitanes trying to get in.

"Ok," the Doctor gained everyone's attention. "We need to get into the kitchen. Mickey," the Doctor calls.

"What now," Mickey asks sarcastically. "Want me too . . ."

The Doctor interrupts him. "I want you to get the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then bats, bats, bats. How do you deal with bats. He hears the fire alarm go off and looks over grinning when he sees Kenny standing next to the fire alarm. The Doctor unlocks the door and they make a dash for it, past the Krillitanes writhing on the floor.

They run into K9 on the way. "Come on boy," the Doctor encouraged as they ran towards the kitchen. "Good boy."

Mickey heads of to unplug the students while everyone else heads to the kitchen. Running in to the kitchen the Doctor pulls out the sonic screwdriver and tries to open the barrels. "They're deadlock sealed," the Doctor stats frustrated as he moves to the next one. "Finch must of done it, there all sealed."

"The barrels will not survive a direct hit from my laser, master," K9 speaks up. "But my batteries are fading."

"Right, everyone out," the Doctor urges. "K9, stay with me." He has a feeling he knows what's about to happen and he doesn't want them there, especially Sarah Jane.

Rose looks back as she follows the others outside and sees the Doctor talking to K9 as the door closes behind her.

The Doctor moved all the barrels together in the middle of the room.

"Master," K9 speaks up. "I only have enough power for one shot. For maximum impact I must be positioned directly next to the barrels."

The Doctor runs back over to him, shocked. "But you'll be trapped inside."

"That is correct," K9 confirmed.

"I can't let you do that," the Doctor disagreed.

"There's no alternative, master," K9 insists.

The Doctor heard the Krillitanes getting closer. Looking back at K9 he stares at him as he feels sadness rising but it's tempered by Roses presence in his mind. "Goodbye old friend."

"Goodbye master," K9 returns.

"You good dog," the Doctor compliments.

"Affirmative," K9 agrees.

With one last look at K9 the Doctor runs out the door and locks it behind him. Turning around he finds Sarah Jane waiting for him.

"Where's K9?" She demands.

"We have to run," the Doctor deflects.

"Where is he?" Sarah Jane demands again. "What have you done?" She starts crying.

The Doctor grabs her and drags her away from the door.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane follow the kids out and they all watch as the school blows up. The kids start celebrating as well as Mickey. The only ones not celebrating are the Doctor and Sarah Jane, who just lost their dog and Rose who knows what this victory cost them.

The Doctor moves over to comfort Sarah Jane. "I'm sorry."

"That's alright," Sarah Jane answered. "He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really," she tried to convince herself as she held back tears.

Both Rose and the Doctor hugged her as the tears finally fell.

They heard sirens in the distance so the Doctor took Rose aside. "I'm just gonna move the TARDIS to the park around the corner. I'll met all of you there."

Rose smirked at him. "Your gonna build Sarah Jane a new doggy, aren't ya."

The Doctor just grinned back at her as he headed back to the school to get the TARDIS. Rose puts her arm through Sarah Janes and they slowly start to walk towards the park as Mickey follows.

By the time they reach the middle of the park, the TARDIS is already there waiting for them. The Doctor standing outside waiting. As Rose walks up to him he surprises her by placing his arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head.

"Come inside and have a look," the Doctor urges.

They follow Sarah Jane in and grin as she exclaimed, "you've redecorated."

"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh," Sarah Jane hedged. "I do yeah. Though I preferred it as it was. It's darker."

Rose grins. "I love it." The lights flash in agreement. "And the TARDIS obviously agrees with me."

"You can understand her?" Sarah Jane wonders.

"You could say, she and I have a special bond," Rose hints.

"Then your more than a match for him," Sarah Jane points out.

Rose grins again. "You and me both." Rose agrees. "Doctor," Rose nudges.

The Doctor tunes back into their conversation. "Oh, um. We're about to head off but you could come with us."

That's when Sarah Jane comes back to what she realised this morning. "No, I can't do this any more besides I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

Rose and the Doctor could feel the others disappointment when Mickey spoke up. "Can I come. Not with you," Mickey points to Sarah Jane. "With you," he asks the Doctor. "Cause I'm not the tin dog and I want to see what's out there."

"Oh go on Doctor," Sarah Jane urges. "Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."

The Doctor feels Roses amusement as he agrees, "OK, then I'll give you a try."

Mickey celebrates before turning to Rose. "Rose is that alright?"

Rose turns to look at him with a genuine smile. "Yeah, sure." Rose then glances at the Doctor and addresses him in his mind.** "You do realise this means less snuggle time and privacy."**

The Doctors grin turns into a pout as the implications of what he's agreed to finally set in.

"Well I'll be off," Sarah Jane started. She pulls Rose aside and hugs her. "Here's my number. You may be more than human but you still need someone to talk too. Someone who could understand this life."

The Doctor follows Sarah Jane out while Rose and Mickey stay behind.

"It's daft," Sarah Jane exclaimed. "But I never actually thanked you for that time and I wouldn't off missed it for the world."

"Something to tell the grandkids," the Doctor agreed.

"Oh, I think it would be someone else's grandkids now," Sarah Jane deflected.

"Right, yes," the Doctor realised. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to ask. There hasn't been anyone, you know?"

"Well," Sarah Jane hedged. "There was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while but he was a tough act to follow." Sarah Jane laughed. "Goodbye Doctor."

"Oh, that's not . . ." The Doctor started.

"Say it, please. This time, say it." Sarah Jane interrupted.

"Goodbye," the Doctor conceded. "Bye Sarah Jane." He hugs her and swings her around as she hugs him back.

The Doctor finally heads back into the TARDIS and starts the dematerialisation sequence then places an arm around Rose as they watch Sarah Janes reaction when she sees the new K9 model that the Doctor built for her.


	8. Interlude 4

"I'm just gonna show Mickey to a room he can use while here," Rose explained. "I'll met ya later." Rose walked off with Mickey following as the Doctor was left pouting in the console room.

The TARDIS pointed her to a door nearby. "Here this is a room the TARDIS supplied for you," Rose explained as she lead Mickey inside.

Mickey looked around. "Is it always this bear?"

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "You've got nothing but the clothes on your back," Rose pointed out. "If we need anything then the TARDIS can supply it. I'll show you around later, I've got a pouting time lord to cheer up." Rose walked out of the room to Mickeys laughter following her.

She finally found her pouting Time Lord in the kitchen. Grinning she walked up to him and placed her arms around his shoulders as she kissed his temple.

The Doctor relaxed a little as he placed his hands over hers. "Thought you were showing Mickey around?"

Rose moved so she could look him in the eyes. "Were only friends Doctor," Rose assured him. "I'll show him around the TARDIS later but I wanted to make sure you were alright."

The Doctor finally relaxed completely as he slipped his hand behind her neck and pulled her head down so he could kiss her. Just as their lips were about to touch Mickey walked in and noticing what was about to happen threw a jealous look at the Doctor before walking out again.

Rose sighed. "I may have to talk with him again," Rose realised. "I just hope he finds someone soon so he can forget about what we had."

The Doctor, realising that the moment was gone stood up. "I'm gonna check the TARDIS to make sure she's alright."

"And I'll go talk to Mickey again," Rose sighed as she peeked him on the lips before heading of in search of Mickey.

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It had only been twelve hours since he mistakenly invited Mickey on board his ship. Twelve hours when every time Rose and he tried to find a moment alone Mickey walks in on them.

Rose sniggered softly after Mickey had just walked in on them in the media room. "Look at it this way, Doctor," Rose reassured him. "It's not like he's deliberately doing it unlike Jack."

That only made the Doctor pout even more. "What about locking him out of the TARDIS for a few hours," the Doctor suggested.

Rose gave that some serious thought. "It'd have to be somewhere we can guarantee it's safe."

"Who said anything about landing," the Doctor joked. Rose slapped him on the arm as they heard Mickey calling for them.

Sighing Rose moved away from the Doctor and started watching the movie they had originally intended to watch before distracting each other. Mickey decided to join them in watching the movie so they couldn't get anymore time alone.

It was a few hours later as Rose was walking down the hallway that she felt someone grab her hand and pull her in to the closest room. She was about to respond angrily when she heard the Doctor whisper in her ear. "Finally some alone time."

Rose grinned as she turned in his arms to face him. "Your the one that invited him on board," Rose pointed out.

The Doctor groaned as he dropped his forehead to her shoulder. "The biggest mistake of my life, and that's saying something," the Doctor responded.

It was then that they heard Mickey calling for them. Groaning again the Doctor addressed the TARDIS. "Could you please give us a little privacy."

The TARDIS was annoyed that he invited the idiot on board but decided she had punished him enough and so she shifted the room to a place that Mickey would never find.


	9. Old France, New France

Rose was lounging on the jump seat after spending a satisfying night with the Doctor while the Doctor tinkered away underneath the console. He jumped suddenly and let out a Gallifreyan curse when he banged his head on the underside of the console as he emerged sucking his thumb.

Rose shook her head at him. "How many times does she have to tell you that she doesn't want you to tinker with her."

The Doctor was about to respond when Mickey entered the console room. "So, where are we going first?"

Rose caught the Doctors eye. "Your the driver so how about surprising him."

The Doctor grinned suddenly. "Why don't we let the TARDIS decide this time."

Mickey looks confusedly between them noticing their smiles. Rose felt the TARDIS apologise to her but before she could question her, she landed and the Doctor went to check outside with Rose and Mickey following closely. The Doctor opens the doors and steps out first followed by Mickey then Rose.

"It's a spaceship," Mickey exclaimed. "Brilliant, I got a spaceship on my first go."

Rose losses her smile as she realised where they were, now she understands why the TARDIS was apologising to her. The Doctor was looking around when he felt a strong sense of fear come over him, knowing it wasn't his feelings he turned to see Rose had turned pale and shaky. Rushing over to her he asked, "are you alright?"

Rose took a few deep breaths before forcing a smile to her lips. "I'm fine really," she insisted. "This place looks abandoned. Any one on board?"

"Nah," the Doctor answered as he turned back to inspecting the ship. "Nothing here. Well, nothing dangerous anyway, well not that dangerous. Well, I'll just give a quick scan in case there is anything dangerous." He could feel Roses amusement and felt his hearts lighten to see she was coming out of the mood she had been in.

Rose tried to hide her amusement at the Doctors statement when she felt Bad Wolf stirring. **You must have faith in our Doctor. Believe that he will never hurt us in anyway.**

Taking a deep breathe and moving closer to him she enquires, "so what's the date, how far have we gone?"

"About 3 thousand years into your future, give or take," the Doctor answers while he plays with a few gadgets lying around. He activates something and all the lights switch on and doors above their heads opens up to show the stars above them. "51st century. Diagma cluster, you are a long way from home Mickey. Two and a half galaxies."

"Mickey Smith," Rose calls. "Met the universe." Rose grins at the dumbfounded look on Mickeys face. "See anything ya like?"

Mickey turns to look back towards Rose with a big grin. "It's so realistic."

"Dare me, we've had some Cowboys in here," the Doctor comments as he continues to search through the junk pile. "There's a ton of repair work going on here. Now that's odd," he comments as he notices a computer screen. "All the warp engines are going, full capacity. That's enough power to punch a hole in the universe and were not moving. So where's all that power going?"

Rose and Mickey move closer to the Doctor as Rose points out. "The crew aren't here."

"That is weird," the Doctor agrees. "There's no life readings on board."

"Well, we're in deep space," Rose points out. "They didn't just nip out for a quick fag."

"Nope, checked all the smoking pods." The Doctor replies helpfully. The Doctor suddenly picked up something weird. "Do you smell that?"

Rose sniffs as well, "yah somethings cooking."

"Sunday roast, definitely," Mickey suggests with a grin.

**Well someone needs to get their nose checked, even last time you never thought it was something edible,** Bad Wolf snarked. Rose couldn't help agreeing with her.

The Doctor noticed Rose grimace like she knows what that smell represents and it's not something you would want to eat although the Doctor can't help agreeing with her sentiment, it doesn't smell like someone cooking to him either. The Doctor is distracted from his thoughts of Rose when he flips a switch and a door behind them opens up.

Moving through to the next room, they see an old fashion fireplace that definitely doesn't belong on the ship. "Well," the Doctor comments. "There's something you don't see in your average spaceship. 18th century," the Doctor comments as they move towards it. "French, nice mantle." The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver and starts to scan the object while Rose hesitantly walks closer.

Rose starts withdrawing her mind from the Doctors as the feeling of fear washes over her again, she doesn't want the Doctor to get any more suspicious. How many times in the last time line did she cry herself to sleep cause she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be as refined or skilled as Madame de Pompadour.

"It's not a hologram," the Doctor comments. "It actually is a reproduction of an 18th century French fireplace. Double sided." The Doctor bends down to look closely when he feels Roses mind withdrawing from his. He looks back at her in a panic and was about to talk to her when he's distracted by movement at the corner of his eye. Turning back he notices a little girl on the other side.

"That's the outside of the ship," Rose comments, trying to get his mind of the fact that she's withdrawn from his.

"Hello," the little girl greets him.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asks.

The little girl looks at him confused. "Reinette."

"Reinette, that's a lovely name," the Doctor compliments. "Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom," Reinette innocently replies.

"And where's your bedroom," the Doctor continues. "Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris of course," Reinette scoffs.

The Doctor shakes his head. "Paris of course, right."

"Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette questions.

The Doctor wrecks his brain for an answer. "Oh, it's just a routine fire check," the Doctor answers.

Rose rolls her eyes at that reply as Bad Wolf scoffs. **His so called big brain and that's the excuse that he came up with. Forgetting the fact that he wouldn't be checking the fireplace when it's on.** Rose grinned quietly to herself silently agreeing with her.

"Can you tell me what year it is?" The Doctor continues.

"Of course I can," Reinette scoffs again. "17 hundred and 27."

"Right lovely," the Doctor agreed. "One of my favourites, August is rubbish though. Stay indoors, OK, that's all for now, thanks for your help, hope you enjoy the rest of the fire, night."

"Goodnight Monsieur," Reinette replies.

The Doctor stands back up and turns to face Rose and Mickey. "You said this was the 51st century," Mickey demands.

"I also said, this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe," the Doctor pointed out. "I think we just found a hole. Must be a spatial temporal hypo link."

Mickey stares at him shocked. "What's that?"

"No idea, just made it up," the Doctor grinned. "Didn't want to say magic door."

"And on the other side of the magic door," Rose deliberately said the words the Doctor wouldn't. "Is France in 1727."

The Doctor agreed. "Well she was speaking French. Provençal French too," the Doctor explained as he took his coat of and moved towards a wall with a control panel on it.

"But she was speaking English, I heard her," Mickey disagreed.

"That's the TARDIS," Rose explained. "Translates for ya."

"Even French," Mickey asks in disbelief.

The Doctor moves back to examine the fireplace while Rose and Mickey watch. Finding what he was looking for he exclaimed, "gotcha," before flipping a switch and having the fireplace spinning around and depositing him inside a bedroom in 1727 France.

He notices Reinette asleep in her bed so he quietly looks around before moving to the window and looking out into Paris in 1727. Some floor boards beneath his feet creak and the noise wakes Reinette up.

"It's ok," he soothes. "Don't scream. It's me. It's fireplace man, look," he pulls out his sonic and lights a candle with it. "We were talking just a moment ago. I was in your fireplace."

"Monsieur," Reinette looks confused. "That was weeks ago. That was months."

"Really," the Doctor asks, shocked. The Doctor walks back over to the fireplace to have a look. "Must be a loose connection," he mumbled to himself as he tapped on the wood, he doesn't here anything wrong. "Need to get a man in."

"Who are you?" Reinette finally asks. "And what are you doing here?"

The Doctor wasn't paying much attention as he's just realised that the clock is broken. "Ok, that's scary."

"Are you scared of a broken clock?" Reinette enquires.

"Just a bit scared yeah," the Doctor replies. "Cause you see, if this clocks broken and it's the only clock in the room." The Doctor looks around to confirm. "Then what's that," the Doctor points out as he sees Reinette suddenly realise what he did, that there's a ticking noise nearby. "You see, cause that's not a clock, you can tell by the resonance. Too big," the Doctor moves back towards Reinette. "6 feet I'd say. The size of a man."

"What is it?" Reinette enquires.

The Doctor moves towards the curtains to have a look. "Now that's the thing if you are a thing that ticks and your hiding in someone's bedroom, the first thing you do is break the clock. Now no one will notice the sound of one clock ticking but two," the Doctor breaks off as he noticed something. "You might start to wonder if your really alone. Stay on the bed," he instructs Reinette. "Right in the middle. Don't put your hands and feet over the edge."

The Doctor slowly bends down to take a peek under the bed with his sonic in hand. Pushing the button on his sonic screwdriver when something shoves him back before retreating. Moving back to look under the bed again he notices feet on the other side in foot wear for the period. The Doctor slowly stands back up. "Reinette," the Doctor whispers. "Don't look round. You stay exactly where you are." The Doctor suddenly noticed something weird, grabbing Reinette's face gently he does a cursor scan of her brain. "What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain. What can be in a little girls mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

"I don't understand," Reinette cried fearfully. "It wants me." She turns then to see a man in a mask and period styled clothes watching them both. "You want me?"

"Not yet, you are incomplete," the robot answers.

"Incomplete," the Doctor questions confused. "What does that mean, incomplete." The Doctor gets frustrated. "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean incomplete?" The Doctor raises his sonic screwdriver towards the robot threateningly.

The robot moves suddenly and produces a sword that he places close to the Doctor's neck.

"Monsieur," Reinette cries. "Be careful."

"Just a nightmare Reinette," the Doctor assures her. "Don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares," the Doctor starts leading the robot towards the fireplace as it slashes at him with the sword. "Everyone has nightmares. Even monsters." The Doctor moves just in time and the sword ends up stuck on the fireplace mantle.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette wonders aloud.

"Me," the Doctor exclaimed as he flips the switch so the fireplace flips back around taking him and the robot with him.

Rose was waiting for the Doctor to return and already holding the fire extinguisher in hand. The moment he came back round, as the Doctor rushed over to the place he thought the fire extinguisher was. Rose started it up and sprayed the robot until it shut down.

The Doctor meanwhile watched in amazement as she used the fire extinguisher expertly. He was a little put out that he couldn't impress her but his mind leapt to how she seemed to know that something dangerous would be coming through with him, and how she knew how to shut the thing down.

"Cool, ice gun," Mickey remarks as Rose stops the extinguisher.

Rose rolls her eyes at Mickey. "No, fire extinguisher."

The Doctor watches Rose closely as he remarks. "How did you know how to use that and that I would be coming back with something dangerous?"

Rose rolled her eyes yet again. "Doctor, you always seem to bring trouble wherever you go and I had time to figure out the extinguisher, besides it the only thing that looks like a weapon around here."

The Doctor nudged her shoulder. "I'm not the one who's jeopardy friendly."

Rose blushed as she tried to turn his mind back to the adventure they are currently on. "Where did that thing come from?"

The Doctor watched her a second or two longer before finally answering. "Here."

"So whys it dressed like that?" Mickey questions completely missing the drama between Rose and the Doctor.

"Just a trip to France, your basic camouflage protocol," the Doctor answers. "Nice needlework," he comments as he moves closer to inspect the robot. He takes of the mask and wig to see the mechanics of the robot. "Oh you are beautiful," the Doctor exclaimed as he put his glasses on. "No really, you are gorgeous. Look at that, space age clockwork I love it. I've got chills, seriously I mean this from the heart and you want to count those it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you. But that won't stop me," the Doctor threatens.

The clockwork robot starts up suddenly then teleports away.

"Short range teleport," the Doctor explains. "It can't off gone far, could still be on board." The Doctor moves back to the fireplace.

"Your going back to check on her, aren't you," Rose stats sadly.

"Don't go looking for it," the Doctor demands before flipping the switch and heading back to France to check on Reinette. He could've sworn he saw a hurt look flash across Roses face before he disappeared.

Rose tried to get rid of the hurt in her heart as she turned to look at Mickey. Trust in our Doctor. Bad Wolf tries to reassure her.

Mickey shrugged. "He said not to look for it."

"Yeah, he did." Rose agreed. Before grinning, Mickey picked up the second fire extinguisher and heading back towards her. "Now ya getting it."

They both headed off down the corridor to look at the rest of the spaceship.

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The Doctor meanwhile ends up back in the same room to find that the decor has changed quite a bit. Where there were toys and childhood objects are now a harp, bird cage and dressing table. The sun was shining brightly as well, where before it was night.

"Reinette," the Doctor calls as he moves about the room. "Just checking to see if your ok." He stops to play the harp when a noise sounds behind him. Turning around he spots a lovely young maiden dressed in period clothing. "Oh, hello. Um, I was just looking for Reinette. This is still her room, isn't it? I've been away, not sure how long?"

A voice sounds from down the hall. "Reinette, are you ready to go?"

"Go to the carriage mother," the young lady calls back. "I will join you there." The young lady turns back to the Doctor as a grin spreads on his face. "It is customary I think, to have an imaginary friend only during ones childhood. You are to be congratulated on your persistence."

"Reinette," the Doctor realises. "Well, you've grown."

"And you do not appear to have aged a single day," Reinette replies. "That is tremendously impolite of you." She moves closer till she is standing directly in front of the Doctor.

"Right, yes," the Doctor tries to think of an excuse. "Sorry um, um listen, lovely to catch up but better be off aah, don't want your mother to find a strange man in your room."

"Strange?" Reinette questions. "How could you be a stranger to me, I've known you since I was seven years old."

"Yeah," the Doctor concedes. "I guess I came the quick route."

Reinette places her hand on his cheek, "well you seem flesh and blood anyway, but this is absurd," she exclaimed as she removed her hand. "Reason tells me that your not real."

"Oh, you never want to listen to reason," the Doctor assured her.

"Mademoiselle," someone calls out. "Your mother grows impatient."

Reinette, looking annoyed, turns her head and calls out. "A moment," turning back she comments, "so many questions, so little time."

The Doctor saw the kiss coming and turned his head quickly as Roses hurt look flashed into his mind.

"Mademoiselle Poisson," the voice calls again as Reinette pulls back with a hurt look on her face.

"Am I not good enough to kiss?" Reinette questions.

"No, no, not at all, I'm sure your an excellent kisser," the Doctor stammers. "It just, I already have someone and she means the universe to me. I can't lose her, I won't lose her."

Understanding appears in Reinette's eyes. "A strange man indeed to turn down a beautiful woman's kiss because he actually loves the woman he choose. That is a rear quality indeed." Reinette remarks before grabbing her purse off the dressing table and rushing out the door.

The Doctors still standing against the fireplace as he marvelled over the fact that even though he regenerated, his feelings for Rose never diminished. When the name she was called finally got through to him. "Poisson," he wonders aloud as a strange man walks into the room. "Reinette Poisson," the Doctor repeats again. "No, no, no, no Reinette Poisson, later Madame d'Etiolles, later still mistress to Louis the fifteenth, the uncrowned queen of France. Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan. Fantastic gardener," the Doctor laughs as he works it out not realising he's talking aloud.

"Who the hell are you?" The strange man demands.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor grins. "And I just met Madame de Pompadour." The Doctor flips the switch and the fireplace takes him back to the 51st century.

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The Doctors back on the spaceship to find it empty of his companions. "Rose, Mickey," he calls. "Every time, it's rule one, don't wonder off. I tell them, I tell them rule one, there could be anything on this ship." The Doctor complains as he moves off to try to find them. He turns down a corridor to find a horse standing in the way.

Meanwhile Mickey's acting like he's in a spy movie before he notices something that looks like a security camera staring at him. "You looking at me," Rose follows behind as Mickey comments. "Look at this, that's an eye in there, that's a real eye."

Rose starts hearing what sounds like a heart beat. Noticing a small portal, she goes to open it and they stare at what looks like a human heart with a heap of wires attached to it.

"What is that?" Mickey questions. "What's that in the middle there, it looks like it's wired in."

"It's a heart, Mickey," Rose gently explains. "It's a human heart."

The Doctors still wondering the ship looking for Rose. Now he has the horse following him as he continues to search. Turning back to the horse he comments, "will you stop following me. I'm not your mother." The horse nips at him as he notices some doors on the wall. "I wonder if this is where you came from, eh horsey," the Doctor commented as he opened them onto a large garden.

Walking through the garden, he notices two lady's as they walked past. One appears to be Reinette and the other must be a close friend of hers. Ducking down he listens as they converse before he heads back through the doors, onto the ship to continue looking for Rose.

Rose and Mickey meanwhile, continue to explore the ship, this time being much more alert. "Maybe it wasn't a real heart," Mickey suggests.

"Course it was a real heart," Rose replied. She hated to break it to him in this way but he needs to believe in a lot of things now or he could be killed in one of their adventures.

Mickey stares at her in disbelief. "Is this normal for you? Is this an average day?"

"Life with the Doctor, Mickey," Rose commiserates. "No more average days."

They come across a window looking into a French aristocrats drawing room. "It's France again," Mickey stats the obvious. "We can see France."

"We're looking through a mirror," Rose explains as a gentleman walks in, they can't hear what their saying but he's obviously angry about something. Rose smiles slightly as she sees the Doctor walk up to them.

"Blimey look at this guy," Mickey comments as he continues watching one gentleman yell at another. "Who does he think he is?"

"King of France," the Doctor tells him.

"Here's trouble," Rose comments, she doesn't ask where he's been cause she would rather not know. She knows the Doctor wouldn't deliberately hurt her but sometimes he can be a typical bloke and not realise what he's doing.

The Doctors trying to catch her eye that she's obviously avoiding. Usually she would be asking where he's been but she hardly even smiled at him.

"Where have you been?" Mickey wonders instead.

"Oh, this an that," the Doctor hedged. "Became an imaginary friend to a future aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork robot," suddenly the horse neighs, Rose and Mickey look over to it. "Oh, and I met a horse."

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey wonders aloud.

"Mickey," the Doctor calls. "What is pre-reveloutionary France doing on a spaceship, get a little perspective." The Doctor points to the window. "These, there all over the place, every deck. Gateways to history but not just any old history, hers." The Doctor points out as Madame de Pompadour walks into the drawing room. "A time window deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the 51st century stalking a woman from the 18th. Why?"

"Is that Reinette?" Rose asks, though she knows the answer.

The Doctor grins happily at her even though she still refuses to look directly at him. "Yes, Madame de Pompadour, though not yet. Known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished woman I've ever met."

Rose raises her eyebrows at him while still avoiding direct eye contact. "Doesn't she become the Kings mistress?"

"Yeah," the Doctor agrees. "I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yale tree ball. In no time flat she'll get herself established as his mistress. Have her own rooms at the palace. Even have her own title, Madame de Pompadour."

"Wasn't she good friends with the queen though?" Rose questions.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed wondering where she got her information from. "They got on very well."

Mickey turns to look at him sceptically. "The Kings wife and the Kings lover?"

"France," the Doctor explained. "It's a different planet."

It's then the Doctor notices the broken clock, then notices the person with their backs to them in a corner. He watches the person turn around and sees the same sort of mask as the last clockwork robot.

Grabbing Mickey's fire extinguisher the Doctor opens up the mirror and steps through. "Hi, Reinette. My how time flies."

"Fireplace man," Reinette exclaims as she follows him towards the robot.

The Doctor uses the extinguisher to stop the robot then throws it back to Mickey.

"What's it doing?" Mickey asks as they hear a whirring sound coming from it.

"It's switching back on," the Doctor explains as he moves closer. "Melting the ice."

"Then what?" Mickey asks.

"Then it kills everyone in the room," the Doctor stats. The robot reaches out suddenly and the Doctor dodges back to miss its grasp. "Who are you? Identify yourself?" The Doctor turns his head to Reinette. "Order it to answer me."

Reinette looks confused. "Why should it listen to me?"

"I don't know," the Doctor shrugged. "It did when you were a child. Let's see if you still got it."

Reinette takes a deep breath. "Answer his questions. Answer any and all questions put to you."

The robot lowers its arm as it continues to watch them. "I am repair droid 7."

"What happened to the ship then? That was a lot of damage," the Doctor pointed out.

"Ion storm. 82 percent system failure," the droid explained.

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year," the Doctor questioned confused. "What's taking you so long?"

"We did not have the parts," the droid responded.

Mickey laughs suddenly. "It always comes down to that, doesn't it. The parts."

"What's happened to the crew, where are they?" The Doctor continues.

"We did not have the parts," the droid repeated.

"There should've been over 50 crew on your ship. Where did they go?" The Doctor queried.

"We did not have the parts," the droid repeated yet again.

The Doctor was getting more frustrated. "50 people don't just disappear. Where," the Doctor stops suddenly as his mind came up with the answer. "Oh, you didn't have the parts so you used the crew."

Mickey looks horrified. "The crew."

"We found a camera with an eye in it," Rose pointed out. "There was a heart wired into the machinery."

"The system was doing what it was programmed to," the Doctor confirmed. "Repairing the ship anyway it can with whatever it can find. No one told it, the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelled off?"

"Someone cooking," Rose reminded them.

"Flesh plus heat," the Doctor confirmed. "BBQ." The Doctor snaps out of his somber mood. "What are you doing here? You opened up time windows, that takes colossal energy. You could've gone to you repair yard, instead you come to 18th century France. Why?"

"One more part is required," the droid responds.

The Doctor realises the droid is now looking straight at Reinette. "Why haven't you taken it?"

"She is incomplete," the droid answers.

"What, so that's the plan then," the Doctor questions. "Just keep opening up more time windows. Checking her brain to see if she's done yet?"

"Why her?" Rose asks. "You've got all of history to choose from, why specifically her?"

"We are the same," is the droids unexpected answer.

Reinette looks at it horrified. "We are not the same, we are in no sense the same."

"We are the same," the droid insists.

Reinette gets angry. "Get out of here. Get out of here this instant."

"Reinette no," the Doctor tried to stop her but the order had been given and the droid teleported away.

The Doctor ran back to the mirror. "Rose, Mickey get Arthur and follow it. Don't approach just watch what it does."

"Arthur," Rose questions.

"Good name for a horse," the Doctor defends.

Rose rolled her eyes. "No, your not keeping the horse."

"I let you keep Mickey," the Doctor counters. "Now go, go, go."

Rose and Mickey take off through the mirror and back onto the ship. Rose realising that the Doctor forgot, he was the one to invite Mickey on board.

While Rose went chasing after the droid the Doctor approached Reinette. "Reinette," he calls. "Your gonna have to trust me. I need to find out what their looking for and there's only one way I can do that." The Doctor places his fingers on either side of her head. "It won't hurt a bit."

The Doctor enters her mind. "Fireplace man," Reinette whispers. "You are inside my mind."

"Oh dear, Reinette," the Doctor comments as he sees the crude way in which the droids scanned her mind. "You have had some cowboys in here."

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"So, the Doctors into her, eeh," Mickey comments while him and Rose search for the droid.

"What are you talking about?" Rose deliberately misunderstands.

"Well," Mickey scoffs. "Madame de Pompadour, Sarah Jane Smith, Cleopatra."

Rose lost her temper. "Mickey, he's lived a long time. He has met some incredible people. He doesn't even realise how much he's helped them."

"Yeah, but you have to admit there's a lot more females in that group than males," Mickey points out unhelpful.

Rose suddenly noticed a droid behind him. "Mickey," she calls as she grabs her gun. Rose was getting ready to shot at the droid holding Mickey when another one comes up behind her and injects her with something. As darkness consumes her, her thoughts turn to the Doctor and what Mickey pointed out.

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The Doctor was still searching through Reinette's memories, trying to find what the droids were looking for. Shying away from her thoughts of him.

"You are in my memories," Reinette queries. "You walk among them."

"If there's anything you don't want me to see," the Doctor explained. "Just imagine a door and close it, ok." The Doctor continues through her memories. "Oh, there's a door just there. You might want to keep that closed."

"To walk among the memories of another living soul," Reinette exclaimed. "Do you ever get use to this?"

"I don't make a habit of it," the Doctor explained.

"How can you resist?" Reinette wonders aloud.

The Doctors wondering where she's going with her questions. "What age are you?" The Doctor asks instead.

"So impertinent a question?" Reinette smirks. "So early in the conversation. How promising?"

"Not my question, theirs," the Doctor explained. "Your 23 and for some reason that means your not old enough." He feels Reinette flinch at something. "Sorry you might find old memories reawakening, side effect."

Suddenly he feels Reinette entering his mind. Thanks to his bond with Rose his mental shields are back up, he doesn't want Rose to see things that might make her leave him. Especially during the war.

He pulls back suddenly and breaks the connection as he watches her suspiciously. "What were you trying to pull?"

"A door once opened, may be stepped through in either direction," Reinette explained.

"And you shouldn't try to peak into others minds without asking first," the Doctor chastened.

Reinette's face fell. "I see I have upset you, that was not my intent," Reinette apologised. "Dance with me."

The Doctor shook his head. "I can't."

"Dance with me," Reinette insisted. "As an apology."

"I told you, I'm with Rose," the Doctor sighed. "And tonight is the night you dance with the King."

"Then first I shall make him jealous," Reinette insisted. "Just a question, what makes her so special?"

At that question the Doctors look turned far away as he mind went through all the things that makes his Rose special.

Seeing that look Reinette sighed. "Fine, I shall stop trying to tempt you. I can see by the look in your eyes that she means the world to you."

Reinette's voice breaks him out of his contemplation. "She means the universe to me."

Reinette moves off to rejoin the ball while the Doctor heads back through the mirror to look for Rose.

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Rose wakes to a strange ticking sound. Getting a good look she realises that she's surrounded by droids. "What's going on?" She asks as she realises that her hands and feet are shackled to a bed. "Doctor," she calls as she sees Mickey lying on the bed next to her.

"Rose," Mickey calls as he wakes up. "Their gonna chop us up just like the crew. Their gonna chop us up and stick us in their stupid spaceship. And where's the Doctor, where's the precious Doctor, he's been gone for flipping hours now."

Rose's heart starts racing. She knows if worse comes to worse the Bad Wolf will save her but it's still scary to see those masked droids staring at her.

"You are compatible," the droid explains.

Rose furrows her brow at that, she forgot to question them last time. Why would she be compatible. "You might want to think about that," Rose cautions. "You really, really might because me and Mickey, we didn't come here alone, oh no. Trust me you wouldn't want to mess with our designated driver." The droid pointed it's arm at her head as a sword extended from said arm. "You know the Daleks, they had a name for my friend, they have myths about him and everything. They called him the," Rose broke of suddenly as she hears the Doctor singing loudly and off key.

The Doctor comes dancing in with a drink in one hand and his tie on his head. Still singing off key, he dances up to the bed Rose is strapped too. "Have you met the French. My god they know how to have a party."

"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in," Rose comments, this time with a smile on her face. She sees his act for what it is, like last time he never actually went dancing or he never would've gotten here in time. Instead he came looking for her. "The oncoming storm."

"Oh, you sound just like your mother," the Doctor snarks with a smile.

Rose raised her brows at him. "Well, what have you been doing? Where've you been?"

"Well," the Doctor thought. "Among other things I think I just invented the banana daiquiri about two centuries too early." The Doctor moves closer too her till he's right next to the droid. "Do you know that they haven't seen a banana before. Always take a banana to a party, Rose. I mean bananas are good," he turns then to look at the droid. "Oh brilliant. It's you, your my favourite you are. You are the best, you know why? Cause your so thick, your mr thick, thick thickety thick face from thick town, thickania, and so's ya dad." He discreetly moves back over to the control panel. "Do you know why they were scanning Reinette's brains for. Her milometer, they want to know how old she is. Know why? Cause this ship is 37 years old and they think when Reinette is 37 she's complete. Then her brain will be compatible," the Doctor finishes explaining as he continues moving between the droids. "Cause that's what ya missing, isn't it? Command circuit, your computer. Your ship needs a brain and for some reason, God only knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do."

"The brain is compatible," the droid insists.

"Compatible," the Doctor scoffs as he makes it back to the droid that's threatening Rose. "You believe that, you probably believe that this is a glass of wine." The Doctor takes the mask and wig off the droid and pours the liquid over its head before placing the mask and wig back on. The droid keels over suddenly. "Multi droid anti oil. If it moves, it doesn't." Rose breathes a sigh of relief as the Doctor reaches over the control panel to switch off the rest of the droids. "Alright," the Doctor insists as he pulls out his sonic screwdriver and opens their shackles. "That's enough lying about. It's time we got the rest of this ship turned off."

"Are those things safe?" Mickey asks as he hops of the table.

"Ya," the Doctor insists as he places his tie back around his neck. "Safe, safe and thick, the way I like em. Ok, all the time Windows are controlled from here, we need to close them all down." The Doctor starts looking in his pockets. "Sux plugs, where are my sux plugs? I had them a minute ago, Rose."

"With the amount of damage to the ship," Rose comments. "I'm surprised they hit the right century."

The Doctor grinned at her. That's his Rose, always asking the right questions. "Yep, and after that it was trial and error to find the right time." The Doctor flipped a few switches. "The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?"

A bell sound rang out in the control room. "Does that mean they've found her?"

"It's an incoming message," the Doctor wondered.

"From who?" Mickey questioned.

"A robot from the field," the Doctor explained. "One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. Let's try the override," the Doctor suggests as he leans over to do exactly that. The droid he poured the oil into stood up straight suddenly as it drained the oil out of its circuits. Remotely it flipped the switch to awaken the other droids.

The Doctor moved back away from him. "Well that's a bit clever. Right, many things about this are not good."

They hear the bell sound again.

"Message from one of your little friends?" The Doctor enquires. "Something interesting?"

"She is complete," the droid intones. "It begins," all the droids teleport away.

"Looks like one of them's found the right time window," Rose comments.

"Yeah," the Doctor agrees. "And their sending in the troops and this time their bringing back her head."

The Doctor grabs Rose's hand and drags her to another time window. "I want you to go through there and warn Reinette."

Rose smiles at him sadly. "Sure," Rose agrees.

The Doctor saw her sad smile just before she composed her face into a mask. He watched Rose turn and start to walk away, an unexplainable fear over came him then as he saw her walking away so grabbing her he spun her back around and snogged the life out of her before running to find the window that the droids used to get to Reinette.

Shaking herself out of the stupor his kiss put her into she pulled aside the rug and stepped through into the French palace. She walked down the hall and into a drawing room to find Reinette looking at a clock.

"Madame de Pompadour," Rose queries though she knows it's her. Startled Reinette turns around. "Please don't scream," Rose begs. "We haven't got a lot of time. I've come to warn you, they'll be here in 5 years."

"5 years," Reinette exclaimed.

Rose nodded. "Sometime after your 37th birthday. I, um, I can't give you an exact day, it's at random. There coming, it's gonna happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. I'm sorry, it's hard to explain, the Doctor does this better."

"Be exact," Reinette implores. "And I will be attentive."

"There isn't time," Rose apologises.

"There are 5 years," Reinette insists.

"For you, I haven't got 5 minutes," Rose muttered.

Reinette moves to sit next to Rose. "Then also be concise.

Rose takes a deep breathe. "There's a ship that flies in the sky. It holds doorways that go to different parts of your life, in different rooms, all together."

"There is a vessel in your world where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book so that he may step from one to the other without increase of age while I, weary traveller, must always take the slower path," Reinette sums up.

Rose nods, "he was right. You are smart."

"So in 5 years these creatures will return, what can be done?" Reinette asks.

"The Doctor says, keep them talking," Rose tells her. "Their kind of programmed to respond to you. Now you won't be able to stop them, you might be able to delay them a bit."

"Until?" Reinette asks.

"Until the Doctor can get there," Rose assures her.

Rose sees the hope in Reinette's eyes. "He's coming then?"

"He promises," Rose assures her again.

"But he can not make his promises in person," Reinette sighs, disappointed.

"He'll be there when you need him," Rose continues to assure her. "That's the way it's got to be."

"It's the way it's always been," Reinette sighs again. "The monsters and the Doctor. It seems you can not have one without the other."

Rose tried to let her down gently. "It's the way it's meant to be. None of this is suppose to happen. Their messing with history."

"Suppose to happen?" Reinette asks confused. "What does that mean? It happened child and I will not have it any other way. One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel."

"Rose," she hears Mickey yelling. "Rose." Rose rushes to met him. "The time window to when she's 37, we've found it," Mickey informs her. "It was right under our noses."

Rose looks behind her to see Reinette walking up to them. She sees Reinette dodge around them and through the portal into the spaceship. "No, you can't go in there. The Doctor will go mad."

Rose sees the horrified look on Reinette's face as she stops in the middle of the corridor to look around. "So this is his world?" She turns around as she hears screaming coming from down the corridor. "What was that?"

"The time window," Mickey explained. "The Doctor fixed an audio link."

"The screams," Reinette questioned. "Is that my future?"

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "I'm sorry."

"Then I must take the slower path," Reinette decided.

Rose suddenly hears Reinette calling out from another time window. "Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now, you promised. The clock on the mantel is broken."

Reinette turns back to Rose shocked. "That's my voice."

"Rose come on, we've got to go," Mickey insists. "There's a problem."

"Give me a minute," Rose insists as Mickey runs off. Rose walks up to Reinette. "Are you ok?"

"No," Reinette declares on the verge of tears. "I'm very afraid but you and I both know, don't we Rose. The Doctor is worth the monsters." Reinette moves past her to head back through the portal to her time before stopping on the threshold and turning back to face Rose. "You know I love the Doctor, too. Yet you still came and warned me, why?"

"Cause the Doctor likes you," Rose answered truthfully.

Reinette smiled softly at her. "Now I see why the Doctor loves you. I could be the most accomplished and talented person around but he would never see me because your heart shines brighter than the sun."

As Reinette went back to her time, Rose stood there pondering her comment. The screaming broke Rose out of her thoughts and she ran to find the Doctor. Rose followed the noise to see a mirror looking out into a ball room and the Doctor panicking. "You found her then?"

"They knew I was coming," the Doctor exclaimed. "They've locked it off."

"So they teleported in there to grab her," Rose realised. "But locked it off so you can't follow."

"Exactly," the Doctor beamed quickly at her. "As long as the ship and the portal are linked, their teleport will do the trick."

"And we can't go in the TARDIS, cause we're part of events now," Rose concluded.

"Can't we just smash through?" Mickey asks.

The Doctor runs around attaching wires to try and unlock the time window as he replies. "Fine glass this side, plate glass the other, we'd need a truck."

"We don't have a truck," Mickey stats the obvious.

"I know, we don't have a truck." the Doctor yells back.

"We have to try something," Rose insists.

"Smash the window, smash the time portal," the Doctor explained. "There'll be no way back."

The Doctor was still panicking, trying to come up with something when he saw Rose leave the room. He looked up as he noticed Reinette on the other side of the mirror.

"Will everyone please calm down," Reinette tries. "Please. Such a commotion, such a distressing noise. Kindly remember that this is Versi, this is the royal court and we are French." He watches as Reinette then turns to the droids. "I have made a decision and my decision is no, I shall not be going with you today, I have seen your world and I have no desire to set foot there again."

"We do not require your feet," the droid responds as they force her to kneel.

Reinette stares at them unwaveringly. "You think I fear you but I do not fear you even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed and if my nightmare can return to plague me then rest assured so will yours."

Hearing hooves on the floor the Doctor and Mickey turned to see Rose leading Arthur.

"You needed a truck, would a horse do," Rose suggested.

The Doctor grinned at her, "it may just help to break through."

The Doctor grabbed Roses face and gave her a quick kiss before mounting the horse. He watched her on last time, knowing that when he broke through, he'll be stuck there but he's run out of options.

"You'll find a way back," Rose assured him as he rode the horse straight towards the mirror and through into the ballroom. He rode past Reinette who grinned at him before stopping the horse and jumping down to stand in front of the droids.

"Madame de Pompadour," the Doctor greeted. "You look younger ever day."

"What the hell is going on?" The young man who must be the King questioned.

"Oh," Reinette realised. "This is my lover, the King of France."

"Yeah," the Doctor agrees. "Well I'm the lord of time," he dismisses before turning back to the droids. "I'm here to fix the clock," he explains as he pulls the mask off one of the droids. "Forget it, it's over. For you and for me," the Doctor pointed out as Rose came into his mind. "Talk about 7 years bad luck, try three thousand."

It was then the droids realised the portal was gone. They try to teleport away but it doesn't work.

"The link with the ship is broken," the Doctor explained. "No way back. You don't have the parts, how many ticks left in that clockwork heart. A day, an hour, it's over. Accept that, I'm not winding you up." He watches as all the droids start to power down, one even falls over where it's head smashes into pieces.

The Doctor then walks over to Reinette and holds out his hand to her. "You alright?" He asks as he helps her to stand.

"What's happened to them?" Reinette inquires.

"They've stopped," the Doctor explained. "They have no purpose now."

The French being the people they are, they tidied up after the droids then continued with the masked ball. The Doctor takes a drink of a servant and finds a quiet room to stare at the stars. He thinks of the TARDIS and Rose, both his girls will think he abandoned them and it breaks his hearts to have them think that.

The Doctor hears Reinette approach behind him to stare at the stars with him. "You know all there names, don't you? I saw that however brief I was in your mind. The name of every star."

"What's in a name," the Doctor dismissed. "A name is just a title and titles don't do anything."

"Like the Doctor," Reinette enquires.

"Like Madame de Pompadour," the Doctor counters.

"There is one name that I saw which was the first and last in your head," Reinette watched him closely. "Rose."

The Doctor swallowed audibly before turning back to watch the stars. "She is my universe."

Reinette decides to change the subject before she hears more. "I have always wanted to see the stars closer. Just as you have, I think."

"From time to time," the Doctor agrees accepting the change.

"In saving me you trapped yourself," Reinette explained. "Did you know that would happen?"

"Mm," the Doctor agreed. "Pretty much."

"Yet still you came," Reinette wondered.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed again. "Rose wouldn't have forgiven me if I hadn't. Won't catch me doing that again."

Reinette's smile falls as she realises that the Doctor may never see his love again. "There were many doors between my world and yours, can you not use one of the others?"

"When the mirror broke," the Doctor explained. "The shock would've severed all the links with the ship, there'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here I'm afraid. Where ever there was a time window, I'll, um pay for any damage." The Doctor assures her. "That's a thought, I'm gonna need money?"

"So here you are," Reinette realises. "My angel, stuck on the slow path with me."

"Yep," the Doctor agreed with sadness. "The slow path. Here's to the slow path."

They clink their glass together before taking a sip.

"It's a pity," Reinette continues. "I think I would've enjoyed the slow path."

"Well I'm not going any where," the Doctor reminds her sadly.

"Oh aren't you," Reinette replies mysteriously. "Take my hand."

The Doctor holds her hand as she pulls him with her and can't help but compare her hand to Rose's. Her hand doesn't fit as right in his as Rose's does. She pulls him into her bedroom and shows him the fireplace that looks just like the one from her childhood home.

"It's not a copy," Reinette assures him. "It's the original. I had it moved here and made sure it was exact in every detail."

"The fireplace," the Doctor exclaimed. "The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?"

Reinette smiles at the hope in his eyes. "Many years ago. In the hope that a door once opened may someday open again. One never quiet knows when one needs ones Doctor. It appears undamaged, do you think it will still work?"

"You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it," the Doctor explained. "Which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it but," as he moves to search the fireplace for the connection. "The link is basically physical and it's still physically here. I just mean if I'm lucky, if I'm very, very, very lucky." He finds the connection to the ship and a smile breaks out on his face. "Ah ha."

"What?" Reinette questions.

"Loose connection," the Doctor explained as he pulled out his sonic and used it to reconnect the fireplace to the ship. "Need to get a man in," the Doctor comments as he hears the fireplace power up. "Wish me luck."

The Doctor flips the switch to find himself back on the spaceship. The Doctor rushes off and finds Rose sitting in front of the TARDIS. Her face lights up to see him and rushes to give him a big hug.

"How long was I away?" He asks.

"5 and a half hours," Rose responds as she wipes the tears from her eyes. Even knowing that he was coming back, it didn't stop her from worrying. She knows how easy it can be to rewrite time.

"Great," the Doctor exclaimed. "Always wait 5 and a half hours." He shakes Mickeys hand. "Hop into the TARDIS. Be with you in a sec," the Doctor suggested before rushing of back to the fireplace.

Roses face falls as she sees him calling out for Reinette then activating the fireplace and returning to the other side.

The Doctor gets there to find that Reinette is no where to be seen. Walking through to the drawing room he comes across the King staring out the window. "Oh, hello."

"You just missed her," the King explains. "She'll be in Paris by six."

"Oh," the Doctor realised.

The King moves to stand closer to him. "Good lord, she was right. She said you never looked a day older. So many years since I saw you last but not a day of it on your face." He walks towards a desk and withdraws two envelops. "She spoke of you many times. Often wished you would visit again. You know how woman are."

The Doctor takes the envelopes from him and sees his name written on one. His brow furrows when he sees Rose's name written on the other.

The King moves back to the window to watch an undertakers carriage carry a coffin away. "There she goes, leaving Versi for the last time. Only 43 when she died, too young, too young. You missed her in the end, she always did work to hard." The King turns back to face the Doctor. "What does she say?"

The Doctor watches the carriage for a moment before very deliberately tucking the envelops into his pocket.

"Of course," the King accepts as he turns back to watch the carriage. "Quite right."

Without saying a word the Doctor heads back to the fireplace and through that to the ship where the TARDIS is parked. Seeing his coat folded neatly and waiting for him, he shrugs it on then enters the TARDIS. He can feel the TARDIS trying to comfort him but what he really wants to feel is Rose's mind again. He can feel compassion coming from her but he can't feel her actual mind.

"Why her?" Rose questions. She knows the answer but wants to get him thinking again. "Why did they think that they could repair their ship with the head off Madame de Pompadour?"

"Don't know," the Doctor replied. "I guess we'll never know really." He moves over to the console. "The TARDIS can close down all the time windows now the droids are gone. Stop them causing any more trouble."

"You alright?" Rose can't help but ask.

"I'm always alright," the Doctor responds before pulling out the letter addressed to Rose and handing it to her.

Rose looks at it confused before taking it from him.

"Come on Rose," Mickey nudged her. "It's time you showed me round the rest of this ship."

The Doctor watches Rose walk off before withdrawing the letter addressed to him. Opening it up he began to read:

Dear Doctor,

The path has never before seemed more slow and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to met again but I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the world and all its wonders inside your head and know that all things are possible. Though I loved you as much as I could, you loved another more. I only met her for a short time but she showed me why you choose her over me. A heart like hers should be protected from all of life's tragedies. So my one wish to you as I get weaker and weaker is to protect her and love her as only you can. God speed my angel.

Love Reinette

The Doctor folded the letter back up and placed it in his jacket pocket before watching on the monitor as the portals were shut down and the fire in the fireplace was turned off. He then sent the TARDIS into the vortex. He could feel the TARDIS being annoyed about something but at the moment he wanted to feel Rose's mind again. He reached out for her mind but found it closed off. Making a decision he left in search off her, he needed to talk to her.

Rose finished showing Mickey the main rooms before showing him to a room that he could sleep in. Once done she headed back to her old room, not the one she shares with the Doctor but the one she used when she first started travelling with him. Opening up the door she could feel the TARDIS trying to reassure her as she walked to the bed and sat down.

She opened her hand to find the envelope, now crumpled with her name written on it. Opening it up she started to read:

Dear Rose,

I know we only met for a short time but that was enough for me to see your true worth. You would agree with me when I say that the Doctor is needed in this universe but the Doctor needs you. Never think that you are unimportant because as accomplished as I am the Doctor will always choose you. You will always have the Doctors heart.

Love Reinette

Rose closed her eyes as tears slipped down her face. She mourned for Reinette and the life she had, the life Rose knows she probably never had a choice about.


	10. Interlude 5

A few hours later and the Doctor was still searching for Rose, he checked their bedroom and all the other rooms that Rose favoured but couldn't find her anywhere. Giving up he looked to the ceiling. "A little help please," he begged the TARDIS.

The TARDIS beeped at him in annoyance.

Frowning he questioned. "What did I do wrong, why are you hiding Rose?"

The TARDIS beeped again in annoyance.

"Do you know why Rose pulled her mind from mine?" The Doctor questioned.

The TARDIS beeped in affirmative before going quiet.

Sighing the Doctor realised that she won't talk to him any more and slumping his shoulders he walked back to his and Roses room.

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Six hours later and Rose still hadn't shown up so the Doctor decided enough was enough and pulled out his sonic screwdriver to try and find her. The TARDIS, feeling sorry for her Time Lord decided to lead him directly to Roses old room.

The Doctor frowned as the door to Roses old room appeared in front of him. Opening the door he found Rose curled up in the bed. On closer inspection he noticed tear tracks on her face, confused about her reaction he climbed into the bed and held her close.

An hour later Rose woke up slowly and snuggled into the pillow she was lying on. She frowned thoughtfully as she realised the smell of the Doctor was strong. Her eyes opened wide as her brain finally woke up enough to realise that her pillow was moving. Rose sat up hastily and tried to discreetly wipe her eyes when a pair of manly hairy hands stopped her movements.

She swallowed audibly as she slowly raised her eyes to met his. How was she suppose to explain to him about the way she was acting, it's bad enough that he knows something's wrong but to let him see the evidence of her break down is bad, she doesn't even know what happened, if anything this time.

Her eyes finally met his to find compassion and confusion in them. "I know she was an important figure but she lived a full life, Rose," the Doctor explained. "I didn't think you liked her much?"

"I, I didn't," Rose stuttered. "I just, I know how much you cared for her."

The Doctors eyebrows rose at that statement. "Sure, she was a great person and very accomplished but she was kind of rude," the Doctor pointed out. Now it was Roses turn to look at him questionably. "She pushed her way into my head, that I will never forgive. It's rude to force yourself into another's mind without asking. She tried to snog me and when I tried to tell her I was with you she shrugged it off like it didn't matter. Admittedly a lot of men and most woman in those days had lovers as well as a husband or wife and she was one of the most famous courtesans but it doesn't mean that every male wants her," the Doctors brow furrowed as he thought back. "Come to think of it she seemed more put out that I cared more for someone else rather than her."

The Doctor looked down to see Roses customary smile slowly appear again and it lightened his hearts. "I should get ready for the day," Rose suggested. "I'll met you in the console room and I'll pick up Mickey on my way."

The Doctor pouted at her as she ushered him out of the room or she'd never be ready.


	11. Parallel worlds and metal men

The Doctor was tinkering under the console as per usual while sneaking peeks at Rose who was lounging in the jump-seat reading a book. That was how Mickey found them when he went looking. The Doctor got up from under the console when he noticed Mickey enter. A scowl formed on his face when he realised Mickey intended to sit next to his Rose. "Mickey," the Doctor called. "Could you hold this button down while I calibrate the TARDIS."

Mickey looked between the place next to Rose that he had planned to sit and the button the Doctor was pointing at. "Sure boss," Mickey scowled as he walked over and held the button for him.

Smirking behind her magazine, Rose decided it was time to fill Mickey in on some of the adventures the Doctor had taken her on. Distracted, the Doctor sat down beside her and told his side of what went wrong with their adventures.

Watching them, Mickey realised that they really are great for each other as they interrupted each other and seemed to fall in synch as they told the stories switching between them.

Mickey was broken out of his thoughts. "And that weird mushroom lady with the big eyes. Do you remember the way she looked at you?" The Doctor asked Rose as she started laughing. "And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out."

Rose can't control her laughter. "I thought I was gonna get frazzled."

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "And she was just standing there and then, roar," the Doctor finishes as they both break out in laughter.

Mickey laughs with them though he has no idea what their talking about. "Where was that then, that happened?"

The Doctor calms himself so he can reply. "Oh it was on this, um, ah this, um planet thing, asteroid. It's a long story, you had to be there," the Doctor dismissed as he finally noticed what Mickey was doing. "Um, what are you doing that for?"

"Cause you told me too," Mickey answered confused.

The Doctor returned his confused look. "When was that?"

"About half an hour ago," Mickey responds.

"Um," the Doctor just managed to control his smirk. "You can let go now."

Mickey takes his finger of the button slowly and glances at the Doctor suspiciously. "How longs it been since I could've stopped?"

Rose tries to hide her laugh as the Doctor responds. "10 minutes, 20, 29."

Mickey looks appalled. "You just forgot me," he accused.

"No, no, no," the Doctor denied. "I was just, I was calibrating. I was just, I know exactly what I'm doing."

It was then that the TARDIS console sparked as they hurtled through the vortex into the unknown. Rose and the Doctor both grimaced as they heard the TARDIS scream in their heads. The Doctor ran to the console and started pushing buttons and pulling levers to try and gain some form of control.

Rose pops up next to him. "Is she alright?"

"The time vortex is gone," the Doctor exclaimed. "That's impossible, it's just gone. Brace yourselves, we're gonna crash," the Doctor yells as he grabs Rose and throws them both to the ground while he tries to protect her.

Once the TARDIS finally lands, he gets back up again. "Everyone alright? Rose, Mickey?"

"I'm fine, I'm ok," Mickey assures him. "Sorry yeah?"

The Doctor and Rose both stood up and stared at the time rotor in despair. "She's dead," the Doctor exclaimed. "The TARDIS is dead."

"You can fix her," Rose tries to assure him.

"There's nothing to fix," the Doctor gently explains to her. "She's perished. The last TARDIS in the universe, extinct."

"There's got to be some part of her still working," Rose hints. Though at the way the Doctor was looking he wasn't listening to her.

"We both would be able to sense her if some part of her was still working," the Doctor replied mournfully.

Rose felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over her. She tried to hide it from the Doctor, after all he had more important things to focus on, unfortunately she wasn't quick enough.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Before his mind caught up with the situation. "The vortex is gone which means your connections gone."

"I'll be fine," Rose tried to assure him. "We have to have landed somewhere," she pointed out to distract him.

The Doctor shook his head. "We fell out of the vortex. Through the void into nothingness." The Doctor insisted. "We're in some sort of no place. The silent realm, the lost dimension."

"Otherwise known as London," Mickeys voice rang out. While the Doctor and Rose were talking Mickey decided he might as well see where they are.

The Doctor stood up suddenly and grabbing Roses hand they followed Mickey out of the TARDIS.

"London, England, Earth," Mickey exclaimed. He notices a newspaper on a bench and picks it up to read it. "Hold on, 1st of February this year. Not exactly far flung, is it."

"So this is London?" The Doctor asks as he looks around.

"Yeah," Mickey agrees.

"Your city?" The Doctor hints.

"That's the one," Mickey agrees again.

The Doctor finally looks at the sky. "Just as we left it?"

"Bang on," Mickey insists.

"And that includes the zeppelins," the Doctor points out.

Both Rose and Mickey turn to look at what the Doctors looking at to find zeppelins in the sky. "What the hell?" Mickey questions.

"That's different," Rose comments as another wave of dizziness washes over her and she sits down to gather her strength. She had been trying to contact the Bad Wolf but since she was connected to the time vortex in the primary universe she has no strength to help.

"Ok," Mickey suggests. "It's London with a big international Zeppelin festival."

"This is not your world," the Doctor insists.

Mickey becomes desperate. "But if the dates the same. It's parallel right, I'm right, like a parallel earth that's got zeppelins. I'm right aren't l?"

It was then Rose noticed the billboard with her fathers face on it. She knew it was coming but had no idea her emotions would still affect her. It had been a long time since she saw him.

"Must be," the Doctor agreed as he noticed Rose leaning on him heavily while distracted by something.

"So parallel world where," Rose starts only to be interrupted by Mickey.

"Oh come on," Mickey spun to her. "You've seen it on films, like an alternative type to our world where everything's the same but a little bit different like, I don't know... Traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected."

"And he's still alive," Rose interrupted. "Parallel world where my dads still alive."

The Doctor suddenly realised what had her so transfixed. "Don't look at it Rose, don't even think about it. This is not your world," the Doctor warned her as he try to squash the fear that she might leave him to stay with her father.

Rose moves closer with the Doctor and Mickey following. "I know, it's just a shock to see him again." She moves to touch it and pulls back when it speaks.

_"Trust me on this."_

"That's weird," Rose pointed out. "But he's real, he's a success." Rose still feels proud that her dad made something of his life. "He was always planning these daft little schemes. Healthy drinks and stuff, everyone said he was useless but he did it."

The Doctor moved in front of her to stop her from looking at the billboard. "Rose, if you ever trusted me, then listen to me now. Stop looking at it, he died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete, that is a Pete, for all we know he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose, his own daughter who is someone else but not you." He hated to break it to her like that but it had to be done. "You can't see him, not ever."

Rose doesn't respond to him as she feels another wave of dizziness wash over her. Leaning on him heavier she feels the Doctor lead her over to a bench and orders Mickey to watch her before heading back to the TARDIS. Even without Bad Wolf Rose knows that she needs to get the Doctor to agree to go to the party at Pete's house which means acting like she wants to see Pete again no matter how much it will hurt.

Satisfied that Rose is being watched for a moment the Doctor heads back into the TARDIS to see if he can do anything. He hears Mickey enter so goes to met him. "I told you to keep an eye on her."

"She's alright," Mickey sighed.

"She goes wandering off and she's not feeling well," the Doctor yells. "Parallel worlds are like a ginger bread house. All those temptations calling her."

"Oh so it's just Rose then?" Mickey asks insulted. "Nothing out there to tempt me?"

"Well I don't know," the Doctor shook his head. "I can't worry about everything. Just need to get this thing to work," the Doctor finishes as he kicks the console.

Mickey follows the Doctor as he hops over to the jump-seat. "Did that help?"

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed as he sat down.

"Did that hurt?" Mickey inquires as he indicates where the Doctor kicked the console.

"Yes," the Doctor hissed through his teeth as he held his foot. Once his foot had stopped throbbing, he looks up at Mickey. "We're not suppose to be here. The TARDIS draws its power from the universe but it's the wrong universe. It's like diesel in a petrol engine," he puts in terms Mickey would understand.

"But I've seen it in comics," Mickey insists. "People are hopping from one alternate world to another, it's easy."

The Doctor folds his arms and stares at Mickey incredulous. "Not in the real world," the Doctor insists. "Use to be easy when the Time Lords kept their eye on everything you could pop between realities, home in time for tea. Then it died with them, the walls of reality died, the walls were sealed. Everything became that little less kind."

"Then how did we get here?" Mickey questioned.

The Doctor shook his head again. "I don't know. Accident, should've been impossible now we're trapped." The Doctor leaned back and contemplates everything they talked about when he notices a small green light under the grating. "What's that?"

"What?" Mickey questioned as he tries to see what the Doctor saw.

"That there," the Doctor pointed out as he leans over to get a closer look. "Is that a reflection? It's a light, isn't it? Is that a light?" He pulls open the grating to get to the light. "I think that's a light. That's all we need. Power, Mickey we've got power," the Doctor informs him as he starts pulling out wiring and parts for the TARDIS to get at the light. "It's alive."

"What is it?" Mickey inquires.

"Nothing, it's tiny," the Doctor explains while continuing to pull apart the machinery. "One insignificant little power cell that you never have any problems about. It's clinging to life, a little ounce of reality tucked away inside.

"Enough to get us home?" Mickey asks hopefully.

The Doctor finally reaches the tiny power cell and lifts it out carefully. "Not yet," the Doctor assures him. "I need to charge it up." The Doctor explains as he lifts himself out from under the floor.

"We can go outside and lash it up to the national grid," Mickey offers.

The Doctor shakes his head. "Wrong sort of energy. It's gotta come from our universe."

"But we don't have any," Mickey points out helpfully.

"There's me," the Doctor assures him as he blows on the power cell. "I just gave away ten years of my life," the Doctor stats happily. "Worth every second."

Mickey stares at the power cell as the light dims again. "It's going out, is that ok?"

"It's on a recharging cycle," the Doctor assures him. "It will loop round and power back up and be ready to take us home in oh, 24 hours," the Doctor kissed the power cell.

"So that gives us 24 hours in a parallel world?" Mickey suggests.

"Shore leave," the Doctor exclaimed. "So long as we keep our heads down. Easy, no problem. Let's go tell her."

Mickey and the Doctor step out of the TARDIS to find Rose no where to be found. Panic rising, the Doctor looked all around before the Doctor noticed her sitting on a bench further down from where he left her.

"There you are," the Doctor exclaimed as they walked up to her. "You alright? No applause, I fixed it," the Doctor showed Rose the recharging power cell. "24 hours then were flying back to reality," it's then that the Doctor noticed Roses face. "What is it?"

"My phone connected, there's this Cybus network," Rose explained as she hoped what happened last time will work this time. "Finds your phone. It gave me internet access."

"Rose whatever it said this is the wrong world," the Doctor insisted.

Rose interrupts him. "I don't exist."

The Doctor looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler, I was never born," Rose explained. "There's Pete, my dad and Jackie. He still married mom but they never had kids."

The Doctor sighed. "Give me that phone," the Doctor tried to take it off her but Rose moved away from him.

"Their rich," Rose continued. "They got a house and cars and everything they want. But they haven't got me," Rose gathered her strength and stood up to take a few steps away from them before turning back to face the boys. "I've got to see 'em."

"You can't," the Doctor insisted.

"I just want to see 'em," Rose countered.

The Doctor shook his head. "I can't let you."

"You just said 24 hours," Rose recited as she hopes the Doctor will forgive her for pushing him into this mess.

"Not to become their daughter," the Doctor exclaimed. "That's not the way it works. Mickey tell her," the Doctor begs.

He missed the thoughtful look on Mickeys face. "24 hours, yeah."

The Doctor stands up suddenly. "Where are you going?" He questions as Mickey moved in the opposite direction to Rose.

"Well, I can do what I want," Mickey stated.

"I've got the address and everything," Rose informs him.

The Doctor looks between them as they head off in different directions. "Stay where you are, both of you. Rose come back here. Mickey come back here right now."

"I just want to see him," Rose insisted.

"Yeah, I got things to see and all," Mickey informs him.

The Doctor turned back to him. "Like what?"

"Well, you don't know anything about me do ya," Mickey stats bitterly. "It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part."

The Doctor looks back at Rose as she turns back to him. "I'm sorry, I've gotta go."

Mickey stops as he sees the Doctor decide. "Go on then. No choice is there. You can only chase after one of us and it's never gonna be me is it."

The Doctor finally makes his choice as he watches Rose walk off. "Back here, 24 hours," the Doctor called to Mickey as he ran after Rose.

The Doctor finally caught up to Rose as he thought about what Mickey said. "Rose, what was Mickeys life like."

Rose shrugged. "The same as the rest of the kids from the estates. Father ran off with a younger woman and one day his mother realised she couldn't cope. He was brought up by his gran," Rose smiled at the memories of Mickeys gran. "She was such a great woman, god she use to slap him. Then she died, she tripped and fell down the stairs. That was about 5 years ago now. I was still in school."

"I never knew," the Doctor exclaimed.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You never asked."

"You never said," the Doctor countered.

Rose turned them back to the conversation rather than get into an argument about that. "That's Mickey, I suppose I've, we've just taken it for granted. Do you think she's still alive, his gran?" She asked.

"Could be," the Doctor answered. "Like I said, parallel worlds are like ginger bread houses. We need to get out of here as fast as we can."

A beeping is heard through the city and suddenly everyone they can see have stopped, frozen in place. "What are they all doing?" Rose asks as they look around.

"They've stopped," the Doctor exclaimed. The Doctor looked around noticing that they all have pods in their ears. Getting a closer look he notices a beeping sound coming from them. "It's the ear pieces. Like Bluetooth attachments but everyone connected together."

Roses mobile phone starts beeping. Getting it out she looks at the display. "It's on my phone. It's automatic look," she shows the Doctor as he walks towards her. "It's downloading. Is this what they all getting?"

The Doctor puts on his glasses then watches Rose as she scrolls through the different downloads. "News, international news, sports, weather. They get it direct," the Doctor realised. "Downloaded right into their heads."

Rose continued to go through the list. "TV schedule, lottery numbers."

"Everyone shares the same information," the Doctor exclaimed. He takes Roses phone off her. "Daily download published by Cybus industries." They look around them as the people start laughing before continuing whatever they were doing before the download. "You lot, your obsessed. You'll do anything for the latest upgrade."

Rose pretends to be offended. "Not my lot, different worlds remember."

"It's not so far off your world," the Doctor pointed out. "This place is only parallel," the Doctor reminds her as he finds something interesting on Roses phone. "Oh, look at that. Cybus industries owns just about every company in Britain including Vitex. Mr Pete Tyler's very well connected." Rose gives him her best puppy dog look as she silently urges him to say yes. The Doctor finally gives in, he could never refuse her anything. "Oh, ok I give up," he sighs as he throws Roses phone back to her. "Let's go and see him," he shakes his head at himself, honestly she should be banned from doing that look cause he could never say no to her.

The Doctor and Rose finally make it to the mansion where Pete and Jackie Tyler live as the sun sets. Observing it they notice that a parties in full swing.

"They've got visitors," the Doctor points out.

"February the first," Rose realised. "Mums birthday. Even in a parallel universe she still loves a party."

"Well given Pete Tyler's guest list I wouldn't mind a look," hinted the Doctor. "And there is one guaranteed way of getting inside." The Doctor held up the psychic paper for her to see.

"Psychic paper," Rose exclaimed happily as she followed the Doctor down towards the mansion. It was then that she realised, last time they were dressed up as servers.

Rose glares at him as he steals a tux for him and a waitress uniform for Rose. She continues to glare as he introduces them as new replacement servers. She doesn't stop glaring until she's handed a tray with canopies on them.

They make their way into the party when Rose comments. "We could've been anyone?"

"It got us in didn't it," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I should've been in charge of the psychic paper. At least then we would've been guests."

The Doctor leaned towards her. "If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens," the Doctor moves to another group as Rose follows before pointing out. "According to Lucy that man over there," the Doctor pointed.

"Who's Lucy?" Rose interrupts with a raised brow.

The Doctor looks at her quickly and swallows audibly. "Oh, she's carrying the salad thin rolls."

"Oh, that's Lucy is it," Rose deadpanned.

The Doctor watches her a moment. Without the TARDIS working he's unable to read her properly, just a few emotions here and there. Not sure how to respond he just moves on. "Yeah, according to Lucy that is the President of Great Britain."

"What, there's a President and not a Prime Minister," Rose questions, though with a lot less surprised than she perhaps should have.

"Seems so," the Doctor comments.

The Doctor and Rose continue to circulate until Pete starts addressing the crowd. "Hello, can I have your attention please. Thank you, if I could have your attention please. Thank you very much."

Rose and the Doctor follow the voice to the stairs as they watch Pete address the room.

"I just like to say, thank you, to you all for coming on this ah, this very special occasion. My wives 39th birthday. Trust me on this," he uses his over used catch phrase as people laugh quietly. "So without any further ado here she is, the birthday girl. My lovely wife, Jackie Tyler."

As everyone claps the Doctor turned to Rose as Jackie Tyler walks down the stairs. Rose was trying to hold back tears. On the one hand, if she warns this Jackie Tyler about the Cybermen her own mum won't get the happiness she deserves. On the other hand, how can she not tell her and have her die.

"Now I'm not giving a speech, that's what my parties are famous enough for," Jackie explained. "No work, no politics. Just a few good mates and plenty of black market Whisky," everyone starts laughing with them. "Pardon me Mr President. So yeah, get on with it, enjoy, enjoy."

Rose had forgotten that she looked just like her mother. The Doctor noticing her confused look leaned over to her. "You can't stay even if there is someway of telling them."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I can't, I've still got my mum at home. My real mum, can't just leave her could I. It's just they've got each other, mums got no one."

"She's got you," the Doctor insisted. "Those two haven't. All these different worlds, not one of them gets it right."

"Rose," they hear Jackie call out. "There's my little girl."

Turning to look they watch as Jackie picks up a small yorkie dog. The Doctor turns back to watch Roses reaction but he can't hold in his laughter anymore. Rose gives him a dirty look before reluctantly letting a grin pass across her mouth.

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Later on in the party the Doctor manages to sneak into a study where he notices an open laptop. Closing the door quietly behind him he puts his glasses on and begins to hack into the system.

Rose meanwhile is still debating with herself as she watches this universes Jackie Tyler flirt with the President. She wishes that Bad Wolf or the TARDIS was around to help but they're both out for the count.

"I remember her 21st," Pete states as he steps up next to Rose startling her. "Pint of cider in the George."

"Champaign," Rose offers having nothing else to say.

"Oh, might as well," Pete agrees. "I am paying for it."

Rose grins slightly at that. "Big night for you."

"Big for her," Pete nods towards Jackie. "Still she's happy."

"She should be," Rose agreed. "Great party."

Pete looks back at her. "You think."

Rose tries to get him to smile. "You can trust me," Rose tries to imitate his slogan.

"You can trust me on this," Pete corrects.

"Oh, right that's it sorry," she laughs with him. "So how long have you two been married?"

"20 years," Pete explained.

Rose shakes her head. "No kids or."

Pete losses his smile. "We kept putting it off. She said she didn't want to spoil her figure."

"It's not too late," Rose hinted. "She's only 40."

"39," Pete corrects.

Roses lips move into a smirk. "Ok, 39."

"Still too late," Pete quietly explains. "I moved out last month. But we're gonna keep it quiet, it's bad for business." They both loose their smiles at that announcement before Pete gets a confused look on his face. "Why am I telling you all this. We haven't met before have we? I don't know you just seem sort off..."

"What?" Rose silently begs.

"I don't know, just sort of right." Pete suddenly snaps out of his mood as he sees a friend passing. "Steven how's things?"

Roses heart falls as she watches him walk away. She knows that eventually he accepts her but it's still painful when he initially rejects her. Rose decides to wander around and possibly bump into the Doctor while she's at it when she notices Jackie out on a balcony pacing. Figuring that this is the perfect time to warn her she heads out to the porch.

"Mrs Tyler is there anything I could get you?" Rose asks.

"The last 20 years back," Jackie requests as she looks at Rose.

Rose grins softly. "I could manage a glass of Champaign. Or a nice cup of tea."

"Oh, that'd do me," Jackie smiled softly at her.

Rose, forgetting that she's suppose to be serving puts the tray down and sits next to her. "My mum loves that and after a long night she won't go straight to bed. She always stays up just to have one last cup of tea."

"Oh, I'm the same," Jackie exclaims.

"Two sugars," Rose tests to see if their the same.

"And me," Jackie agrees. "Pete always says, you know," she looses the smile she had. "Oh never mind dear."

Rose figured now was as good a time as any. "You know you might want to take those off. It can't be good having some sort of technology connected to your brain."

Jackie turns to her in disgust. "Your just a servant girl for christ's sake. You certainly can't afford these, so don't you dare talk to me."

Roses heart falls as she watches Jackie stomp off. She should've remembered that her mother had a temper as well. A bright light suddenly lights up the yard and Rose watches in terror as rows of Cybermen slowly march forward.

The Doctor meanwhile managed to make it into the program and stared in horror. He knows exactly what's going to happen and the only thought is that he has to reach Rose. He runs into the room where the parties still going and notices Rose entering from the outside. They both move towards the window to watch the Cybermen.

"It's happening again," the Doctor voiced aloud.

"Their similar to the head we found in Van Staten's museum," Rose pointed out.

"My old enemies, I've fought them before," the Doctor agreed.

Rose pretended to think. "You called them Cybermen?"

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed as the Cybermen came crashing though the windows, herding everyone into the same room.

"Mr Lumic?" The President questioned.

"Mr President," they heard Lumic respond. "It was a remarkable idea, crashing the party. Would be appropriate at this point, ha."

The President shook his head. "I forbade this."

"These are my children sir," Lumic insisted. "Would you deny my family?"

"They act to human like to be completely metal?" Rose questions the Doctor.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "Their more than robots."

"Who were these people?" The President questioned.

Rose sighed quietly. "Their people."

"They were," the Doctor agreed. "Till they had all their humanity taken away. There's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body with a heart of steal. All emotions removed."

"Cause emotions hurt," Rose completed quietly.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah."

They turn back to the President. "I demand to know Lumic, these people, who were they?"

"The homeless, the wretched and useless," Lumic answered smugly. "Until I saved them and elevated them and gave them life, eternal and now I leave you in their capable hands. Goodnight sir. Goodnight Mr President."

One of the Cybermen moves in front of the President. "We have been upgraded."

"Into what?" The Doctor questions aloud.

"The next level of mankind," the Cyberman intones. "We are human 2.0. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us."

"I'm sorry," the President apologises. "I'm so sorry for what's been done to you. But listen to me, this experiment ends tonight."

"Upgrading is compulsory," the Cyberman informs him.

The President stands a little taller. "And if I refuse?"

"Don't," the Doctor warned. He felt his hearts drop at what he knows will happen next. He feels Rose take his hand and squeeze to remind him that she's there.

"What if I refuse," the President repeats.

The Doctor moves forward. "I'm telling you. Don't."

"What happens if I refuse," the President repeated yet again with a pointed look at the Doctor.

"Then you are not compatible," the Cyberman intones.

The President moves closer to the Cyberman. "What happens then?"

"You will be deleted," the Cyberman responds before reaching his hand up and touching the Presidents shoulder. The President is electrocuted and all hell breaks loose.

The Doctor, still holding Roses hand drags her around people panicking. "There's nothing we can do," he insists as he sees an open window and drags Rose through. They try to run to the right but spot Cyberman heading towards them.

Turning around they head in the other direction and it's then that she sees Pete jumping out the window they came through. "Pete, Pete," she motions for him to follow them as they run across the huge lawn.

The Doctor pulls them to a halt suddenly. "Pete, is there anyway out?"

"The side gates," Pete points as he leads them. "Who are you? How do you know so much?"

"You wouldn't believe it in a million years," the Doctor answers as their forced to change directions yet again by Cybermen.

They spot a couple of figures running towards them when they hear Mickeys voice ring out. "Get behind me."

What Rose now realises is Rickey and Jake she remembers from before begin firing at the Cybermen who all stop. She was feeling dizzy again so leaned on the Doctors back but making sure his arms were free.

"Rose," she hears Mickey yelling and turns to see the real Mickey run up to them. "That's not me. That's like the other one."

"Oh, if things aren't bad enough there's two Mickeys," the Doctor complains.

One of them glares at the Doctor. "It's Ricky."

"What there's more of them?" Mickey questions as the Cybermen surround them.

Ricky and Jake lift their weapons about to fire. "Put your guns down, bullets won't stop them," Jake fires anyway and the Doctor rushes to stop him and shoves his weapon down. "Stop it now. We surrender," the Doctor yells to them. "Hands up," he orders everyone as he puts his hands up. "There's no need to damage us, we're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."

"You are incompatible," the Cyberman informs them.

"But we Surrender," the Doctor exclaimed.

"You are incompatible," the Cyberman repeats.

The Doctor stares at them in disbelief. "But this is a surrender."

"You will be deleted," the Cyberman warns them.

"But we're surrendering," the Doctor yelled. "Listen to me, we surrender."

"You are inferior," the Cyberman intones. "Man will be reborn as Cybermen but you will perish under maximum deletion."

All the Cybermen put their arms up and start moving towards them intoning. "Delete," repeatedly.


	12. Never threaten the wolf

The Doctors heart plummeted as he realises they really mean to kill them. Despite the fact he can feel Rose leaning more heavily on his shoulder. He knows something's wrong with her and thinks it may be because their in the wrong universe.

The Doctor flung his arm out suddenly with the power cell clutched in his hand. A burst of light shot out and hit the Cyberman in front of them which in turn bounced from one to the other and they dissolved into dust.

"What the hell was that?" Rickey questioned.

"How about instead you, RUN," the Doctor yelled as he grabbed Roses hand and ran.

They hear tooting behind them and turn to find a blue van pulling up to them. "Everybody in," the female driver yelled.

As everyone piles into the van the Doctor grabs Pete before he can head back to the house. "I've got to go back, my wife's inside."

"Anyone inside that house is dead," the Doctor explained gently. "If you want to help them then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now." He sees Pete finally make up his mind and follows him into the van.

"Come on," the driver yells as the Doctor closes the door behind him. "I've never seen a slower getaway in my life."

The van takes off and it's not until they reach a busy road that Ricky turns from the front and points at the Doctor. "What was that thing?"

The Doctor holds up the power cell. "A little bit of technology from my home." The Doctor notices how lethargic Rose seems and wants to get back to the correct universe as soon as possible, he's not sure why this universe affects her so much as the TARDIS refuses to show him any information he tries to gather about Rose.

Mickey breaks him out of his thoughts. "It's stop glowing, has it run out?"

The Doctor turns to look at him. "It's on a revitalising loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours."

"Right so we don't have a weapon anymore," Ricky points out.

"Yeah, we've got weapons," Jake informs him. "They might not work on those metal things but there good enough on men like him."

"Leave him alone, what's he done wrong?" Rose manages to argue. She's trying to gather what energy she can cause she can see the Doctor trying to keep her at the TARDIS and she can't have that.

"Oh, you know just laid a trap to wipe out the government and left Lumic in charge," Jake accused.

"If you think I was part of all that do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete counters.

Rickey glares back. "Maybe your plan went wrong. Still gives us the right to execute ya."

"Talk about execution and you'll make me your enemy and take some really good advice you don't want to do that," the Doctor interrupted.

"All the same," Rickey continued. "We have evidence that says Pete Tyler has been working for Lumic since 20.5."

Rose turns to look at Pete. "That can't be true," she knows the information isn't true.

"Tell them Mrs. M," Rickey suggests.

"We've got a government mole," Mrs M relates. "That's feeds us information. Lumics private files and South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts 24 hours a week."

"Broadcasts from Gemini?" Pete questions.

Rickey continues to glare at him. "And how do you know that?"

"I'm Gemini," Pete insists. "That's me."

"Yeah well you would say that," Rickey stats in disbelief.

"Encryption wave lengths 5, 7 using binary 9," Pete confirms. "It was the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the security services and what do I get, Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van."

Mickeys looking between them confused. "No, no, no but the preachers know what their doing. Rickey said he's London's most wanted."

Rickey looks sheepish. "Yeah that's not exactly..."

"Not exactly what?" Mickey asks.

"I'm London's most wanted for parking tickets," Rickey finally confesses. The Doctor can't hide his smirk at that confession. Rickey, seeing their smirks went on the defensive. "Yeah that was deliberate, I was trying to fight the system. Park anywhere, that's me."

"Good policy," the Doctor praised. "I do much the same. I'm the Doctor by the way," he introduced. "If anyone's interested."

"I'm Rose," Rose pipes up. "Hello."

Pete scoffs. "Even better. That's the name of my dog. Still at least I've got the cleaning staff on my side." Rose just rolls her eyes at him. Maybe if she doesn't get emotionally involved it won't hurt as much when they leave. "They took my wife," Pete exclaimed.

"She might still be alive," Rose tried to reassure him. She knows it's a long shot but she might be. She still feels conflicted about the Jackie Tyler of this world dying.

"That's even worse," Pete exclaimed. "Cause that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines."

The Doctor stares at Rose sympathetically. Even though he can't feel her mind at the moment he can see her feelings written all over her face. She was trying so hard to not get emotionally involved but in her mind parallel or no parallel it was still her mother there.

"Cybermen," the Doctor informed them. "Their called Cybermen and I'd take those ear-pods off if I was you," he suggested as Pete did what he said. "You never know, Lumic could be listening." He informed them as he used his sonic screwdriver to deactivate the pods. "But he's over reached himself, he's still just a businessman and he's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities because I promise you this ends tonight."

They make it into the city to see all the people marching with blank faces. Getting out of the van they follow them as they take a closer look.

"What the hell?" Jake queries as he turns to look at all the people.

"Are they being controlled?" Rose questions the Doctor as she fights another dizzy spell and latches onto the Doctor.

The Doctor places his arm around Roses waist to help keep her standing as he replies. "It's the ear-pods, Lumics taken control."

"I'm guessing it would damage them if you tried to remove them?" Rose asked.

"Yep," the Doctor agreed. "It'll cause a brain storm," the Doctor looks around in disbelief as something occurs to him. "The human race, your such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it, easy life."

"Hey," they hear Jake whispering. "Come and see."

They peer around a corner to see Cybermen leading people away. "Are they going where I think their going?" Rose asks.

The Doctors mind starts connecting dots as he replies. "Ah, Lumic must have a base of operations."

"Battersea," Pete agrees. "That's where he was building his prototypes."

"He must be sick?" Rose questioned. "Dying."

"Yeah," Pete agrees. "This all started out as a way of prolonging life. Keep the brain alive. At any cost."

Rose turned to the Doctor. "You've fought Cybermen before haven't you? In Van Staten's museum you said they were an old enemy?"

"There were Cybermen in our universe," the Doctor didn't know if he was assuring her or warning her. "They started on an ordinary world just like this then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot is a parallel version and their starting out right here on Earth."

Pete stares at them like their crazy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Rose and the Doctor stare at each other before looking back at Pete. Just as the Doctors about to say something clever he's interrupted.

"Never mind all that," Rickey interrupts. "We need to get out of the city. Ok, split up, Mrs Moore you look after that lot. Jake distract them, you go right, I'll go left and we'll all meet back at bridge street. Move."

"I'm going with him," Mickey states before running after Rickey.

Before Rose can protest Mrs Moore's leading them away. "Come on, with me."

They run down one street only to be stopped by Cybermen. "Back," the Doctor yelled as he changed directions. They ran down an alleyway with Cybermen marching after them. They manage to find a dumpster to hide behind as they listen to the Cybermen stop right next to them. The Doctor was still supporting Rose with an arm around her waist while she grabbed Pete's hand to reassure him. The Doctor changed the settings on his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the Cybermen. They turned suddenly to face down the street and marched off. They watched for a bit as the Cybermen got further away before running in the opposite direction.

They make it to Bridge street and turn as they spot Jake running up to them. "I ran past the river, you should've seen it. The whole cities on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Themes."

They turned around as they see Mickey running up to them. Rose feels her heart hurt for her friend. To see a parallel version of yourself, that looks exactly like you killed, can't be easy.

"Here he is," Jake grins before he realises there's only one. "Which one are you?"

"I'm sorry, the Cybermen, he couldn't," Mickey broke off as his voice caught.

"You kidding me?" Jake questioned. "Are you Rickey?"

"Mickey that's you isn't it?" Rose hints gently.

"Yeah," Mickey agrees. Rose hugs him in comfort, wishing she could do the same for Jake as she sees the pain in his eyes. "He tried, he was running. There was too many of them," Mickey tried to explain.

"Shut it," Jake states as he moves a few steps away from him.

"There was nothing I could do," Mickey insisted.

Jake turns to him in anger then. "I said just shut it. Don't even talk about him. Your nothing, you are. Nothing."

"We can morn him when London is safe," the Doctor gently reminds him. "For now we move."

They all silently agreed and together they head to Lumics base of operation. They find a hill over looking the factory that would be perfect for observing the happenings at the factory. He was worried about Rose as well. Everything seems to be twice as hard for her to do and despite her trying to hide it from him he knows her energy is flagging.

"The whole of London's been sealed off," the Doctor explained. "And the entire populations been taken inside that place, to be converted."

"We've got to get in there and shut it down," Rose informs them.

Mickey looks at her sceptically. "How do we do that?"

"Oh, I'll think of something," the Doctor informs them.

"Your just making this up as ya go along," Mickey accused.

"Yep," the Doctor agreed, popping the 'p'. "But I do it brilliantly. Mickey had to agree with that while Rose tried to hide her smirk.

Mrs Moore, also smiling opens her laptop to show them a diagram of the factory. "That's a schematic of the old factory," she informed them. "Look," she pushes a few buttons and an underground passageway shows up leading away from the factory. "Cooling tunnels, underneath the plant. Big enough to walk through."

"We go under then up into the control centre," the Doctor confirms as Mrs Moore nods her head.

"There's another way in," Pete speaks up. "Through the front door. If their taking Jackie for upgrading then that's how she'll get in."

"We can't just go strolling up," Jake disagrees.

Mrs Moore pulls something out of her bag. "Well we could, with these," she pulls out some deactivated ear pods. "Fake ear pods. Dead, no signal but put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job," Pete informed them.

"You'll have to show no emotion," the Doctor warned. "None at all. Any sign of emotion will give you away."

"How many of those you got?" Rose questions as she sees the Doctors head whip round to her and his face darken.

"Just two sets," Mrs Moore informs her.

Rose was about to speak up when the Doctor spoke over her. "No."

Rose blinked at him as she realised that she hadn't fooled him in the slightest. "We can't let Pete go in there alone."

"And I won't have something happen to you," the Doctor countered. Everyone seemed to be watching them carefully. "Ever since we landed here you've been weak do you really think that you'll be able to waltz in there showing no emotion?" Rose opened her mouth to refute his words but he continued. "Don't, I know what your about to say. As much as I would like to send you back to the TARDIS, with your jeopardy friendliness you'd still manage to get into trouble so your coming with me and Mrs Moore. If that's alright with you?" The Doctor finishes as he turns to Mrs Moore.

Mrs Moore shrugs. "It's probably better anyway."

Rose starts biting her lip. This isn't what happened last time and she's worried that something will happen to Pete if she's not there. But she can admit that she may not be able to pull it off like last time.

"Tell ya what," the Doctor continued as he saw the acceptance in her eyes. "We could give people their minds back. So they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey boy," the Doctor calls as he puts his arm around Jake's shoulder. "Lumic's transmitting the control signal, it must be coming from over there," he points his sonic screwdriver towards the factory, trying to find the signal. "There it is," the Doctor exclaimed as he pointed the sonic at the zeppelin. "On the zeppelin you see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes to show off. Do you reckon you could take it out?"

"Consider it done," he agrees with a grim smile.

"Mrs Moore, would you like to accompany us into the cooling tunnels," the Doctor offers.

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels," she agrees.

The Doctor takes off his glasses. "We attack on three sides. Above, between, below. We get to the control centre, we stop the conversion machines."

"What about me?" Mickey pipes up.

"Mickey," the Doctor thinks about where he can go. "You can, um."

"What, stay out of trouble," Mickey scoffs, interrupting the Doctor. "Be the tin dog. No those days are over, I'm going with Jake."

"I don't need you idiot," Jake sneers.

Mickey turns his frustrations on Jake. "I'm not an idiot you got that? I'm offering to help."

"What ever," Jake dismisses as he walks off.

Mickey goes to follow as the Doctor calls out to him. "Good Luck."

"Yeah, you too," Mickey agrees. "Rose I'll see ya later."

"Ya, you better," Rose agrees.

"If we survive this," the Doctor states as he squeezes Roses hand. "We'll met back at the TARDIS."

Mickey starts nodding his head in agreement. "That's a promise."

Rose turns to Pete and can't help giving him a hug. "Good Luck."

Pete, surprised by the gesture, hugs her back. "You too. All off you." Before he too moves towards the front of the factory.

The Doctor gives her a reassuring hug before leading her back to Mrs Moore who was packing her things away. Once done Mrs Moore leads them to the opening to the cooling tunnels. Opening the cover, Mrs Moore goes down first, followed by Rose, then the Doctor.

"It's freezing," Mrs Moore calls out as she gets a good look around her. She helps Rose down then the Doctor jumps the rest of the way.

"It's nice even got insulation," the Doctor complained taking Roses weight off Mrs Moore so she could scout ahead. Thanks to his superior biology he could carry Roses weight effortlessly.

"Can't see a thing," Mrs Moore complained as she rummaged around in her bag. "But I've got these," Mrs Moore informed them as she pulled out two lights that look like they attach to your head. "A device for every occasion. Put it on."

The Doctor looks at her thoughtfully. "You haven't got a hotdog in there by any chance have you, I'm starving."

"Or some chips," Rose piped up. "I could kill for some chips."

Mrs Moore laughs softly. "Off all the things to wish for. That's mechanical, metallic meat and greasy food."

"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor joked. "It's the Cybermen of food but it's tasty."

Mrs Moore continues to rummage around in her bag and pulling out a torch to hand too Rose. "A proper torch as well."

The Doctor waits for Rose to turn the torch on before looking down the tunnel properly. "Let's see where we are?"

Rose and the Doctor both move back slightly as the Doctor shoves Rose behind him when they see rows of Cybermen. "Already converted just put on ice, come," the Doctor urges them as he leads the way with Rose close behind and Mrs Moore bringing up the rear hesitantly.

The Doctor gets a closer look at one then taps it's face experimentally to see if he will awaken. When nothing happened he continued ahead while urging the others. "Let's go slowly," they continue to move between the rows of Cybermen. "Keep an eye out for traps."

As they continued to move through the tunnels the Doctor couldn't keep his curiosity quiet. "How did you get into this then?" The Doctor asked Mrs Moore. "Rattling on with the preachers."

"Oh, I use to be ordinary," Mrs Moore passed off casually but Rose detected a wistful sound to her voice as she continued. "Worked with Cybus industries, doing filing. Till one day I find something I'm not suppose too. A file on the main frame, all I did was read it. Then suddenly I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. Life on the run, then I found the preachers. They needed a techie so I, I just sat down and told them everything."

"What about Mr Moore?" The Doctor enquires.

"Well he's not called Moore," she explains. "I got that from a book, Mrs Moore. It's not safe enough to use real names, but he thinks I'm dead. It was the only way to keep him safe, him and the kids." Rose hugs her briefly while the Doctor sympathises. "What about you two? Got any family or?"

"Oh, who needs family, I've got Rose," he grins at her briefly before continuing. "I've got the whole world on my shoulders."

"And I have the Doctor, my mum and Mickey," Rose explains trying to move Mrs Moore's interest away from the Doctor before it brings up bad memories.

"Go on then," the Doctor urges Mrs Moore. "What's your real name?"

"Angela Price," Mrs Moore relents. "Don't tell a soul."

"Not a word," the Doctor agrees while Rose mimes zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

They fail to notice the sensor that lights up as they walk past or the Cyberman next to it moving.

Mrs Moore points out suddenly. "Did that one just move?"

"It's just the torchlight," the Doctor assured her as they could see the end of the tunnel coming up. One of the Cybermen start moving. "Their waking up," the Doctor calls. "Run," he yells as he drags Rose behind him. They make it to a ladder leading up just as the Cybermen turn and start to head towards them.

They start climbing as Mrs Moore looks back. "Get up, hurry." She panics. "Their coming. Open it, open it."

The Doctor finally gets the hatch at the top open and the three of them clamber out while Mrs Moore's yelling at them in panic. The Doctor helps them both out then closes the hatch and uses his sonic screwdriver to seal them in.

"Oh good team Mrs Moore, Rose," the Doctor compliments as they lean over to catch their breaths. Rose rolls her eyes as she leans her head on the Doctors shoulder and closes her eyes when another dizzy spell hits her.

The Doctor watches her worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Rose waves him off. "I'll be fine," she assures him.

They continue down the hallway looking for cyber control when a Cyberman steps in front of them. "You are not upgraded?"

"Yeah well upgrade this," Mrs Moore cries as she throws a small bomb at the Cyberman. It sticks to the metal suit before releasing an electric charge to damage it.

Once the Cyberman had been brought down the Doctor and Rose turned their awed faces to Mrs Moore. "What the hell was that thing?" The Doctor questioned as they moved towards it.

"Electromagnetic bomb," Mrs Moore explained to them. "Takes out computers, I figured it might stop a cyber-suit."

"Well you figured right," the Doctor complimented while Rose grinned proudly. "Now, know your enemy," the Doctor informed them as he bent down to open up the front panel of the Cyberman where a big letter 'C' stood. "Logo on the front," the Doctor commented as he took a look inside the suit. "Lumic's turned them into a brand. Heart of steel," he points out to them as he lifts a delicate organic looking material. "Look."

"Is that flesh?" Mrs Moore questions.

"Mm," the Doctor agreed. "Central nervous system. Artificially grafted and thrown inside the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well it is a living thing," the Doctor corrects himself. "Oh, but look," the Doctor points out. "Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything"

Mrs Moore shakes her head. "But why?"

"Because it hurts," Rose pipes up, repeating what the Doctor told her before.

"It's still got a human brain," the Doctor explained, agreeing with Rose. "Imagine it's reaction if it could see itself. Realise itself inside this. They'd go insane."

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human," Mrs Moore started to understand.

"Because they have too," the Doctor explained.

The Cyberman started talking, shocking everyone. "Why am I cold?"

"Oh my god he's alive," Mrs Moore exclaimed. "It can feel."

"Broke the inhibitor," the Doctor gently explained as he leaned over more. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Rose felt tears run down her cheeks as the Cyberman continues. "Why is it so cold?"

"Do you remember your name?" The Doctor enquires.

"Sally," the Cyberman replies. "Sally Fielder."

Roses eyebrows shot up at realising that it's a female as Mrs Moore comments. "Your a woman?"

"Where's Gareth?" Sally enquires.

"Who's Gareth?" Mrs Moore questions gently.

"He can't see me, it's unlucky the night before," Sally explains.

Rose gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Your getting married?" Mrs Moore realises gently.

"I'm cold," Sally once again informs them. "I'm so cold."

"It's alright," the Doctor assures her as he holds up his sonic screwdriver. "You sleep now Sally, go to sleep," the Doctor assures her as he activates his screwdriver and shuts her off as Rose placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort. Killing Sally. "Sally Fielder didn't die for nothing," the Doctor informed them. "Cause that's the key," he spat out. "The emotional inhibitor. If we can find the code behind it, the cancellation code then feed it through the system then into every Cyberman's head, they'd realise what they are."

"And what happens then?" Mrs Moore asks as the Doctor stops talking.

"Then it would kill them," the Doctor explained as he felt Rose place her hand on his back as a silent support for what he planned. "Can we do that?" The Doctor questioned.

"We've got to," Mrs Moore gently agrees. "Before they kill everyone else. There's no choice Doctor, it's got to be done."

Rose noticed a Cyberman walking up behind Mrs Moore as she stood up. Grabbing her, she pulled Mrs Moore behind the Doctor as he too stood up in shock.

"Sensors detect a binary vascular system," the Cyberman intones. "You are an unknown upgrade. You will be taken for analysis."

Rose, the Doctor and Mrs Moore were lead away to the cyber control. Just where they wanted to be. As their lead into the control room Rose let out a sigh of relief when she sees Pete standing there."

"Oh we've been captured but no worries, Pete is still out there he can rescue us, oh well never mind," the Doctor mentions sarcastically as he undoes his black tie and loosens the top button on his shirt.

Rose falls heavily into a chair as the Doctor looks at her worriedly. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Rose manages to smile back as she glances at Pete. "They got Jackie, didn't they?" Rose questions as she tries to divert the Doctors attention away from her, she didn't want him to find out that she seems to be getting weaker.

"I was too late and they killed her," Pete explained.

"And where is he?" The Doctor cried out to change the subject as Mrs Moore consoled Pete. "The famous Mr Lumic. Do we get the chance to met our lord and master."

"He has been upgraded," a Cyberman explains.

"So he's just like you?" The Doctor questions.

"He is superior to humans and has been designated, cyber controller," the Cyberman continues to explain.

All the Cybermen turn to face a pair off large doors, drawing everyone else's eyes to them as well. The doors open to revel a Cyberman in a metallic armchair/wheelchair contraption.

"This is the age of steel," the cyber controller explains. "And I am its creator."

Suddenly they hear screaming channeling through out the factory and outside. A grin lights up their faces as they realise what happened.

"That's my friends at work," the Doctor gloats. "Good boys. Mr Lumic that's a vote of free will."

"I have factories waiting on seven continents," the cyber controller explains. "If the ear-pods have failed then the Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen, so shall the world. I will bring peace to the world, ever lasting peace, and unity and uniformity," the cyber controller continues as the Doctor gets a feeling of being watched. He glances out of the corner of his eye he notices a camera watching them. Hoping it's the boys he starts to put his plan into place.

"Imagination," the Doctor interrupts. "What about that? The one thing that lead you here, imagination. Your killing it dead."

"What is your name?" The cyber controller enquires.

The Doctor stands a little taller. "I'm the Doctor."

"A redundant title," the cyber controller dismissed. "Doctors need not exist, Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah but that's it," the Doctor yells in frustration. "That's exactly the point. Oh Lumic, your a clever man, I'd call you a genius except I'm in the room. But everything you've invented you did to fight your sickness and that's brilliant," the Doctor assured him. "That is so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for? The Cybermen won't advance you'll just stop. You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts," the Doctor spat out as he moved around the room while he kept all eyes on him. "Lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People, ordinary, stupid, brilliant people."

Rose grins at him fondly, she loves it when he gets like this.

"You are proud of your emotions?" The cyber controller asks. "Have you known grieve and rage and pain."

Rose stands up suddenly as the cyber controller questions him and is proud when he replies calmly though she can see his fists clench. "Yes, yes I have."

"And they hurt?" The cyber controller continues.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor agrees.

"I can set you free," the cyber controller offers. "Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me," the Doctor stats confidently.

"Then I take that option," the cyber controller accepted.

The Doctor feels his anger building at the cyber controllers ignorance. "It's not yours to take, your a cyber controller, you don't control me or anyone with blood in its heart."

"You have no means of stopping me," the cyber controller gloats. "I have an army, a species of my own."

The Doctor shakes his head as he starts moving again. "You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing cause those ordinary people, there the key. The most ordinary person could change the world. Some ordinary man or woman, some idiot," the Doctor hints. "All it takes is for him to find say the right numbers, say the right code, say for example the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him," the Doctor continued babbling as Rose realised what he was doing. "Cause even an idiot could use computers these days. Knows how to get past passwords and firewalls. Knows how to find an encryption in the Lumic family database under, ah, what was it Pete?" The Doctor asked hoping Mickey was listening. "Binary what?"

"Binary 9," Pete reminded him.

"An idiot could find that code, cancellation code," the Doctor continued. "And he would keep on typing, keep on fighting. Anything to save his friends," the Doctor hinted, urging him to hurry.

"Your words are irrelevant," the cyber controller insisted.

The Doctor grinned at him. "Ah, talk to much, that's my problem. Lucky I got that cheap tariff Rose, for all our long chats on your phone," Rose grins at him as he continues to babble.

"You will be deleted," the cyber controller orders.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "Delete, control, hash all those lovely buttons then of course my particular favourite, send," he mimes hoping it will come through soon. "And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place," the Doctor carried on as he positioned himself next to the port we're he'd have to enter the code. "By making technology compatible with everything else."

Roses phone starts beeping, looking at the message she sees Mickeys name. "It's for you," Rose informs him as she throws him her phone.

The Doctor catches the phone and looks at the cyber controller regretfully. "Like this," and he jams the phone into the port and downloads the code to the main system.

All the Cybermen in the room accept the cyber controller, grab their heads and scream. The building starts shaking as Rose gathers her flagging energy to run.

The Doctor walks up behind one Cyberman as it sees itself in a reflection. "I'm sorry," he apologises.

"What have you done?" The cyber controller yells as smoke starts pouring out of the control panels.

"I gave them back their souls," the Doctor explained. "They can see what you've done Lumic and it's killing them." The Doctor cries as he grabs Roses phone and tosses it to her as they run out of the control room.

"Delete, delete," the cyber controller cries but he goes unheard.

Explosions start in the factory as everyone tries to find a way out. They find an emergency exit and open it to find their way blocked by Cybermen.

"There's no way out," the Doctor cried as he tried to hold Rose up.

Roses phone rings and she answers it to hear Mickey on the other end. "Rose, Rose can you hear me, head for the roof."

"It's Mickey," Rose informs them. "He says head for the roof."

They manage to dodge explosions and debris falling as they head for the roof. They reach the roof to find Mickey flying a zeppelin.

"Mickey, where did you learn how to fly that thing?" Rose yells into the phone.

"PlayStation," is his answer. "Just hold on Rose, I'm coming to get you."

They run over to a clear section of roof to see a rope ladder being lowered for them.

"You've got to be kidding," Pete exclaimed.

"Mrs Moore get up there," the Doctor urges as she starts to climb. "Rose your next," the Doctor insists as he follows close behind to make sure she doesn't lose her grip. Trying to ignore the fact that her backsides right in his face.

Pete follows behind them as the zeppelin moves away. They hear Mickey over the intercom. "Welcome to Mickey Smith airlines please enjoy your flight."

"We did it," Rose yells as the Doctor draws even with her. He takes part of her weight so she could rest.

They feel the ladder drop a bit suddenly as a heavy weight is dragging it down. The Doctor quickly positions himself so he's covering Rose before she looses her grip and looks down to see the cyber controller climbing the ladder.

"Pete," the Doctor yells as he holds out his sonic screwdriver. "Take this," he breathes a sigh when Pete actually catches the sonic. "Use it. Hold the button down, press it against the rope. Just do it."

"Jackie Tyler," Pete yells. "This is for her," he explains as he does as the Doctor instructed. They watch as one side breaks then the other not being able to support the weight alone breaks as well and the cyber controller plunges back towards his factory screaming the whole way.

Mrs Moore makes it into the zeppelin first then turns to help Rose in while the Doctor supports her from behind. Then the Doctor and Pete crawl in. The former going to check on Rose who was breathing heavily and looked exhausted.

Mickey looked on as he saw how the Doctor cared for Rose. How the first thing he thought of was her and it made his decision much easier knowing how much she would be cared for.

By the time they made their way back to the TARDIS the sun had already risen but everything was still quiet. The Doctor immediately headed to the TARDIS and placed the power cell into the console. As soon as he does the entire ship lights up and a huge grin spreads on his face. He can feel her in his head again and better yet he can feel Rose as well.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her energy returning the moment the TARDIS started up again. She grinned when she felt the TARDIS and Bad Wolf in her head as well as the Doctor.

**"Oh, thank god,"** she hears Bad Wolf mutter.** "I was afraid that you might do something stupid while I couldn't warn you."**

Rose rolled her eyes at that comment as she felt the TARDIS's agreement.

"So what happens in that thing?" Pete asks breaking her out of the conversation with Bad Wolf.

"Do you want to have a look?" Rose offered, she was proud of her home.

"Don't think so," Pete refuses. "But you two, all that stuff you said about different worlds. Who are you?"

Rose knew it was coming but she can't lie to him. "It's like you say. Imagine there are different worlds. Parallel worlds, worlds with another Pete Tyler and Jackie Tyler's still alive and they have a daughter."

Pete suddenly realised what she's trying to say and backs away from her. "I've gotta go. There's all those Lumic factories out there. All those Cybermen still in storage. Someone's gotta tell the authorities what happened, carry on the fight."

Rose doesn't try to stop him, she understands. It doesn't stop the rejection from hurting and she feels Bad Wolf and the TARDIS trying to console her.

The Doctor feeling what she feels steps out and calls to her. "Rose, I've only got 5 minutes of power. We've got to go," he explains gently as he reaches out with his mind to console her. He senses the TARDIS but he's sure he senses another entity as well and it concerns him greatly.

"Thank you," Pete says suddenly. "For everything."

All Rose can do is watch as what will be her future father walk away from her. The Doctor hugs her physically as he sees her hold back tears.

Mickey, Jake and Mrs Moore arrives back with the Doctors pinstriped suit and Janis Joplin coat and hands them to the Doctor.

"Here it is," Mickey stats. "I found it. Not a crease."

"My suit," the Doctor exclaimed. "Good man. Off we go then," he suggests and hugs Mrs Moore. "Go home and let your family know your alright," Mrs Moore nods in understanding.

"The thing is," Mickey states. "I'm staying."

The Doctor stares at him in shock. "You doing what?"

Rose feels more sadness enter her heart at Mickeys words. The Doctor feeling Roses sadness wrapped her mind in a warm hug.

"It sort of balances out," Mickey tried to explain. "Cause this world lost its Rickey but there's me and there's work to be done with all those Cybermen things still out there."

Rose nods her head in acceptance. "I understand."

"My grans here," he feels the need to explain more. "She's still alive my own gran, remember her? She needs me. You don't need me cause you have the Doctor. It's you and him ain't it. We'll always be friends," Mickey assured her.

"We can't come back," Rose informs him as she looks to the Doctor to confirm.

"Travel between parallel worlds is impossible," the Doctor confirmed. "We only got here by accident, we fell through a crack in time. When we leave I've got to close it. We can't ever return."

Mickey takes a deep breathe and holds out his hand. "Doctor."

The Doctor shakes it before informing them. "Take Roses phone it's got the code. Get it out there, stop those factories. Good luck, Mickey the idiot," the Doctor says fondly as he slaps him lightly on the cheek.

"Watch it," Mickey warns jokingly. He watches as the Doctor enters the TARDIS before turning back to Rose. "Thanks," Mickey says. "We've had a laugh though haven't we. Seeing it all, been there and back. Who would've thought me and you off the old estate, flying through the stars."

"All those years just sitting there," Rose agreed. "Imaging what we'd be doing one day."

Rose hugged him as her tears fell. "Go on, don't miss your flight," Mickey urged her.

Rose let go of him and walked back into the TARDIS and closed the doors without looking back. Feeling Roses emotions all over the place the Doctor did the one thing he thought he would never willingly do. He set the course for Jackie Tyler and materialised right in her living room.

Rose, grateful for the Doctors thoughtfulness opened the doors and walked out, straight into her mums arms. The Doctor watched Jackie comfort her daughter with a confused look.

"What is it?" Jackie asks. "What's happened sweetheart?" Rose just hugged her harder. "What's wrong? Where did you go?"

"Far away," the Doctor informed her as it seemed Rose wasn't going to answer. "That was far away."

"Where's Mickey?" Jackie finally asks after realising he hasn't shown up.

"He's gone home," the Doctor gently informed her.


	13. Interlude 6

The Doctor did something he never thought he would ever do, he spent an entire week in Jackie's flat so she could comfort Rose. He went grocery shopping and had dinner with them and even went to a party that one of Roses friends was throwing, though as soon as he could he extracted Rose.

The Doctor turned his head and gazed at Rose sleeping peacefully next to him. It had been a week of ups and downs yet after all the domestics that he was forced to sit through he wouldn't change anything cause it brought Roses smile back. It also brought his to know that she might be ready to travel again as he's noticed, especially in the last few days how restless she's been.

The Doctor heard Roses breathing pattern change and knew she'd be awake soon. He watched as her eyes blinked open til she was staring at him. "Mornin," the Doctor greeted with a smile.

"Mornin," Rose mumbled as she stretched before sending him a dazzling smile. "So, we gonna go or would you like to stay for another week?"

The Doctors smile brightened as he jumped out of bed and ran to the door but he was stopped by Roses quiet voice.

"Just let me say goodbye to mum," Rose suggested. "You know how upset she'll be with you if I don't say goodbye."

The Doctor winced, remembering the slap she gave him in his last body. "Riiiiight, I'll just make sure the TARDIS is ready."

Rose watched him as he almost skipped to the console room with a soft smile on her face. She knew how hard it had been on him to stay in one place for so long but was grateful that he gave her the time she needed with her mother. He did take that one trip the TARDIS warned him about in the 1980's but she had made plans, but he wasn't gone for more than an hour and he came straight back.

Roses smile was still in place as she went through her morning routine then walked to the console room to find the Doctor caught in a hug by her mother. She had to laugh at the look on the Doctors face. Unfortunately that brought her into her mothers sphere and she realised the Doctor and charged at Rose to squeeze her breathe out of her.

Jackie let her go to point her finger at her. "Now you ring me all the time, and get that alien to bring ya back more often," Jackie warned her.

Rose nodded quickly. "Off course, we'll come back as often as we can," Rose promised her.

After another hug to both of them and the Doctor being kissed on the mouth by her mother she walked back out of the TARDIS leaving a stunned Doctor behind. He snapped out of his surprise when he felt Roses and the TARDIS's amusement as Rose let out a snort as she tried to stop from laughing at him. The Doctor mock glared at her and the TARDIS as he hit the dematerialisation switch and sent them on more adventures.


	14. Tellys can be deadly

The Doctor knew the last few months have been especially hard on both of them so the Doctor decided they might take a night off and go see Elvis in person. The Doctor grinned as he felt Rose waking up, he rushed to their room just as she was getting out of bed.

"Morin'," the Doctor greeted with a huge smile.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Thought you keep insisting there's no morning on the TARDIS."

The Doctor rolled his eyes back at her. "Yeah wellll, I seem to be picking up your habits. Anyway I have a surprise for you, weelll I hope it's a nice surprise so why don't you go choose an outfit in the wardrobe room, the TARDIS will help you then met me in the console room when your ready," then he bounced, no really he did, out of the room before Rose could say anything.

Rolling her eyes again at his hyperactive personality she grabbed some toast that the TARDIS had prepared for her in the kitchen and moved onto the wardrobe room where the TARDIS has laid out a pink 50's style rock and roll dress with a blue jacket and pink heels with black fish net stockings. Remembering exactly where they are going, Rose can't wait. Thanking the TARDIS for placing the outfit for her she started to get ready.

**"Rose,"** Bad Wolf called.** "You will have to have your face taken."**

Rose screwed up her nose**. "That wasn't nice last time, and I have to do it again."** Rose sighed knowing she doesn't have a choice.** "I just thought if I do manage to stay with the Doctor after Canary Wharf won't it change things just by being there."**

**"Yes and no,"** Bad Wolf confirmed. Feeling Roses confusion Bad Wolf elaborated.** "Yes you will change small things, save a person here or there but the overall picture won't change. I can't say that this is a better future than what has been for you and the Doctor."**

Knowing that's the only answer that Bad Wolf will give her she finishes styling her hair. Looking at herself in the mirror she just realised that she hadn't had to top up her roots since she took in the time vortex, on closer examination her hair looks like a natural blond. Realising she's as ready as she needs to be she heads to the console room.

The Doctor doesn't usually dress up unless he absolutely has to but he thought it would be fun to at least style his hair. He turned to Rose as she walked in and had to pick his jaw up of the ground. How does she manage it, over 900 years of time and space and she is the only one who manages to jumble up his mind enough that it takes a full minute to shake himself out of it.

Rose grinned at seeing and feeling his reaction. "I take it, by the clothes that the TARDIS laid out for me as well as the hints that she left that we're going to see Elvis."

Grinning at her clever deduction he responded. "Absolutely," he replied as he pulled the materialisation lever. As they landed Rose headed to the door while the Doctor ran to the garage where he stores his beloved car that he used when he was stuck on Earth in his third body and something else he thought Rose might enjoy.

Rose appreciated the effort he put into this trip even though it doesn't go according to plan. Stepping out she notices the same street with lots off aerials. "I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era you know the white flares and, grrr, chest hair," Rose teases.

The Doctor pokes his head out in surprise. "You are kidding aren't you?" He questions till he feels her laughter in his mind. "You want to see Elvis, you go for the late 50's. The time before burgers when they called him the pelvis and he had a waist."

Rose laughed, she knew that would get to him. Especially cause he doesn't have any chest hair himself.

"What's more you see him in style," the Doctor called out as he came out of the TARDIS on a blue scooter with a helmet on. "You going my way doll?" The Doctor teases in an Elvis impersonation.

"Is there any other way to go daddy, o," Rose responds as she places pink sunglasses on. "Straight from the fridge man."

"Ah, you speak the lingo," the Doctor exclaimed as he passed her a pink helmet.

"Well me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every bank holiday," Rose explained as she put the helmet on and got on behind the Doctor.

"Oh, Cliff," the Doctor scoffed. "I knew your mother would be a Cliff fan."

Rose grabbed the Doctors waist as he started the scooter and they were off. "Where are we off too?" Rose enquired.

"Ed Sullivan TV studios," the Doctor responded. "Elvis did hound dog on one of the shows and received loads of complaints. Bit of luck we could just catch it."

"That would be TV studios in, what New York?" Rose questioned as she looked around with a smirk.

The Doctor stopped the scooter suddenly as a decidedly English looking double decker bus drove past them on a cross street. The Doctor looked at it confusedly before really taking in his surroundings.

Rose though started laughing. "Do you get that New York vibe?"

"Well," the Doctor hedged. "This could still be New York, I mean this looks very New York to me. A Londoney New York."

"Is there a national holiday going on, or something?" Rose hints.

The Doctor parks the scooter and they both hop off and wonder down to where a van is parked. The back door opens and a TV is passed out to a customer.

"There you go sir, all wired up for the great occasion," one man announces.

The Doctor rubs the back of his neck in thought. "Great occasion," he wonders aloud.

"Where have you been living?" The man enquires. "In the colonies. The coronation of course," the man replies as he shuts his van doors.

The Doctors still trying to figure it out. "What coronations that then?"

"What do you mean?" The man asked back confused. "THE coronation."

When the Doctor still looked confused Rose decided she better put him out of his misery. "The Queens," when he still looked baffled she explained further while a smirk grew on her face. "Queen Elizabeth."

She saw something finally click in his mind. "Oh, oh is this 1953?"

"Last time I looked," the man replied. "Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance. It's what we do best."

Rose looked around. "Look at all those TV aerials. Looks like everyone's got one that's weird," Rose tried to hint. "My nan said that TVs were so rear that they all had to pile into one house."

"Not around here love," the man responded. "Magpies marvellous tellies. Only 5 quid a pop."

While they were talking the Doctor wandered around the street a bit. "Oh, this is a brilliant year," the Doctor exclaimed suddenly. "Classic. Technicolor, Everest climb, everything of the ration. A nation throwing off its shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future."

Rose laughed as she felt his happiness. She treasures the moments when he acts like this. A shout down the street stops her laughter and they both turn to see a lady calling for help.

Rose follows the Doctor as he runs to where the screaming was coming from. "What's going on?" He demands as they watch two men come out of a house with a man whose head is covered in a blanket. They shove the man into the car and close the door.

"Oy, what are you doing?" A boy across the road comes charging out of the house.

"Police business now get out of our way sir," one of the police officers demanded.

Rose turns to the boy. "Who did they take? Do you know him?"

"Must be Mr Gunner," the boy replies shocked. "It's happening all over the place. Their turning into monsters."

"Tommy," a man yells from the house Tommy ran out off. "Not one word. Get inside now."

Tommy turns back to the Doctor and Rose. "Sorry, I better do as he says."

The Doctor nudges Rose and runs to his scooter as he puts sunglasses on. Rose runs after him while putting on her helmet. The Doctor throws his helmet on and revs the scooter as he waited for Rose to get on. "All aboard," the Doctor calls as he takes off after the car the moment he feels Rose holding on.

They turn a corner to find that the car has disappeared down a dead end. All they can see is a market stall with two guys manning it, one of them sweeping.

"Lost 'em," the Doctor exclaimed. "How did they get away from us?"

"I'm surprised they didn't arrest you for reckless driving, have you actually passed your test?" Rose snapped, her heart was still racing after that reckless ride. She had forgotten how bad he was.

The Doctor ignored her as he tried to work out what was going on. "Men in black, vanishing police cars. This is Churchill's England not Stalins Russia.

"Monsters," Rose pointed out to get him back on track. "That boy said. Maybe we should go and ask the neighbours?"

The Doctor stares at her as his mind races. "That's what I like about you, the domestic approach," the Doctor smirked as he felt Roses annoyance. That'll teach her to complain about his driving.

"Did you just insult me?" Rose questions in annoyance. The Doctor took off before she could say anything more. They drove back to the street they had come from and started knocking on doors.

By the time they met up again they were in front of Tommy's door. They were getting frustrated as no one would talk to them, like they were afraid.

They could hear yelling coming from the house. By silent agreement they moved towards the door and rang the doorbell. Silence descended before they could hear someone stomping towards the door.

"Hi," the Doctor and Rose greet together with big smiles.

The man who answers looks between them, confused. "Who are you then?"

The Doctor looks the man up and down. "Let's see then judging by the look of you family man, nice house, decent wife, therefore I represent Queen and country," the Doctor worked out aloud as he holds up the psychic paper. "Just doing a little check up on her majesties subjects for the great dame. You don't mind if I come in, nah I didn't think you did. Thank you," the Doctor continued as he pushed past and into the house without giving him time to respond. Rolling her eyes, Rose followed him.

"Ah, very nice," the Doctor complimented as he took the lounge in, with one sweep of his eyes. "Very well kept, I'd like to congratulate you Mrs," the Doctor enquires of the only female in the house.

"Connelly," she answers nervously.

Everyone else piles into the lounge as well. "Now then Rita, I can handle all this," Mr Connelly insists. "This gentleman's a proper representative. Don't mind my wife she rattles on a bit."

Rose takes a seat as the Doctor responds. "Well then, maybe she should rattle on a bit more. I'm not convinced your doing your patriotic duty," the Doctor let's his anger and frustration colour his voice. "Those flags, why are they not flying?"

"There you are Rita," Mr Connelly points out. "I told you, get them up, Queen and country."

"I'm sorry," Rita tries to apologise but the Doctor stopped her.

"Get it done," Mr Connelly continues. "Do it now."

The Doctor let's his anger show as he faces down Mr Connelly. "Hold on a minute, hold on a minute," the Doctor interrupts. "You've got hands Mr Connelly. Two big hands, so whys that your wife's job?"

"It's house work isn't it?" Mr Connelly asks confused.

"And that's a woman's job?" The Doctor counters.

"Cause it is," Mr Connelly scoffs.

The Doctor puts on his haughtiest expression. "Mr Connelly what gender is the Queen?"

"She's a female," he answers immediately.

"Are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" The Doctor makes his point.

Mr Connelly fidgets a bit. "No, not at all."

The Doctor hands the flags to him. "Then get busy," he orders.

"Right, yes sir," Mr Connelly agrees. "You'll be proud of us sir. We'll have Union Jacks left right and centre."

Rose stands to face him as what he said registered. "Excuse me, Mr Connelly. Hang on a minute, Union Jacks?"

"Yeah, that's right isn't it?" Mr Connelly asks unsure now.

"That's the Union flag," Rose points out. "It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea."

"Oh, oh. I'm sorry," Mr Connelly apologises. "I do apologise."

"Well don't get it wrong again, that's a good man now get to it," Rose orders before sitting back down on the couch. That felt just as good this time as it did the last time.

"Right then," the Doctor called attention back to himself as he sat down next to Rose. "Nice and comfy, at her majesties leisure. Union flag," the Doctor whispered aside to Rose.

"Mum went out with a sailor," Rose explained.

The Doctor grinned at her. "I'll bet she did. Anyway I'm the Doctor and this is Rose and you are?"

"Tommy," the boy informs them.

"Well sit yourself down Tommy," the Doctor suggests as he and Rose move over so Tommy can sit between them. "Have a look at this," the Doctor points out the telly. "I love telly don't you?"

"Yeah," Tommy agrees. "I think it's brilliant."

"Good man," the Doctor complimented. "Keep working Mr C," the Doctor calls out before turning serious. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Mrs Connelly fidgets nervously. "Did you say you were a doctor?"

"Yes, I am," the Doctor agreed.

"Can you help her?" Mrs Connelly begs. "Oh please. Can you help her Doctor?"

Mr Connelly butted in. "Now then Rita I don't think the gentleman needs to know."

"No, the gentleman does," the Doctor countered.

"Tell us what's wrong and we can help," Rose assures her. Mrs Connelly starts crying so Rose moves to comfort her. "It's alright."

"Hold on a minute," Mr Connelly realised. "Queen and countries one thing but this is my house. What the hell am I doing," he demands as he throws down the Union flag. "Now you listen here Doctor. You may have fancy qualifications but what goes on under my roof is my business."

Rose could see and feel the Doctors temper rising. "Not if people are being bundled into...," the Doctor tries to explain.

"I am talking," Mr Connelly yells, interrupting the Doctor.

Rose felt the moment when the Doctors temper snapped. "And I'm not listening," the Doctor yelled back as he stood face to face with Mr Connelly. "Now you Mr Connelly, you are staring into a deep dark pit of trouble if you don't let me help. So I'm ordering you, sir. Tell me what's going on?"

Before anyone could say anything more a thumping noise is heard above their heads.

"She won't stop," Mr Connelly explained nervously. "She never stops."

Tommy looked between his parents before blurting out. "We started hearing stories. All around the place, people who have changed. Families keeping it secret cause they were scared. Then the police started finding out, we don't know how, no one does. They just turn up, come to the door and take them. Anytime of the day or night."

"Show me," the Doctor asks quietly.

Tommy leads the Doctor and Rose up the stairs with his parents following. He takes out a key and unlocks the door before opening it slowly to find a pitch black room.

"Gran," Tommy calls softly. "It's Tommy. It's alright gran, I've brought help."

The Doctor notices someone standing in the middle of the room. Switching the light on he gets his first look at what's happening. Her face is completely gone, nothing there. The Doctors mind starts going over what could course something like this as he pulls out his sonic screwdriver.

"Her face is completely gone," the Doctor comments as he uses the sonic to take readings of her face. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left," the Doctor thinks out loud. "Almost complete neural shut down, it's just ticking over. It's like her brains been wiped clean."

"What are we going to do, Doctor?" Tommy questions. "We can't even feed her." They all turned towards the doorway as they hear men barge into the house and up the stairs.

"We've got company," Rose warns the Doctor.

Mrs Connelly started to cry. "They've come for her."

The Doctor turns to Tommy. "Quick, Tommy what was she doing just before this happened, where was she? Tell me quickly, tell me," the Doctor demanded desperately. "Think."

"I can't think," Tommy yelled distractedly. "She doesn't leave the house. She was just..." Tommy was interrupted as two men bursts into the room.

The Doctor moves to intercept them before they can try and take Tommy's gran. "Hold on a minute. There are three important, brilliant and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One," the Doctor managed to get out before being knocked unconscious by one of the men.

"Doctor," Rose cried as she immediately falls to her knees next to him to try and wake him up as Mrs Connelly and Tommy try to stop them from taking their gran.

Rose softly slapped his cheeks trying to wake him up when he sits upright suddenly, shocking Rose into moving back. "Oh, hell of a right hook. Have to watch out for that."

The Doctor and Rose ran down the stairs after the car. "Rose come on," the Doctor calls as he jumps on the scooter. Realising that they'll get away if he doesn't move, he takes off without her.

As Rose was running past the living room she noticed red electricity coming from the TV. She could hear the Doctor calling her but she ignored him and headed toward the TV instead. Looking at the back of the TV she saw the logo for Magpies electronics.

"How did they find her?" Tommy questions as the family head back into the lounge. "Who told 'em?"

They all stop as they see that Rose is still there. "You," Mr Connelly spat. "Get the hell out of my house."

"I'm going, I'm done," Rose tries to placate. "Nice to met you Tommy, Mrs Connelly. And as for you Mr Connelly, only an idiot hangs the Union flag upside down, shame on you," was Roses passing comment as she takes off out the door.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

The Doctor turned the same corner where they lost the car last time to see the doors at the end just closing. The same two people from before are still manning the market stall even though it's the middle of the night. "Oh, that's very good," he realises. "Very good."

The Doctor drives back around the corner and parks the scooter before walking around the back of the building, trying to find another way in. He finally finds a vent that leads into the warehouse so using the sonic screwdriver he manages to open the vent and crawl inside. He hides behind some containers as he waits for the cops to leave before heading towards where they came from.

He opens a cage door and walks through to find another cage filled with people with no faces. He unlocks that cage and comes face to, well no face people. He turns a torch on and moves around examining them before he realises that they have all turned towards him. He moves backwards as they begin to move towards him. Just when he thinks that something serious would happen to him a bright flood light turns on and there stand the cops that had been kidnapping people.

"Stay where you are," the leader yells.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Rose makes it to Magpies to see a light still on. Taking a few deep breaths to work up the courage to walk in there and act like she doesn't know what will happen, and let it happen.

**"Don't worry,"** Bad Wolf tried to reassure her. **"I'll try to mitigate some of the discomfort for you but I can't let the wire find out I'm here. Remember all powerful guardian."**

Rose laughed a little at that declaration knowing that she has put it off long enough she takes one more deep breathe before opening the door to magpies store and walking in.

"I-I-I'm sorry miss," Magpie stutters. "I'm afraid your too late. I was just about to lock the door."

"Yeah, well. I wanna buy a telly," Rose informs him.

"Come back tomorrow," Magpie tells her. "Please."

Rose watches him closely while acting confused. "You'll be closed, won't ya."

"What?" Magpie questioned, confused.

"For the big day," Rose hints. "The coronation."

Magpie shakes his head. "Yes, yes, of course, the big day. I'm sure you'll find somewhere else to watch it. Please go."

Rose slowly moves to the counter till she's standing directly in front of Magpie. "Seems to me, half of London's got a television. Since you're practically giving them away."

"I have my reasons," Magpie explains.

Rose leans closer. "And what are they?"

Rose catches a telly turning on in the corner of her eye. She turns to it as the woman on the screen cries out. "Hungry."

Rose watches Magpie closely. "What are you hiding in here?"

"Nothing, I just have TVs in here," Magpie deflected while the woman on telly continued to cry. "Now I really do think, you should leave," Magpie moved to the door and opened it. "Right now."

"Not until you've answered my questions," Rose demands. "How come your televisions are so cheap?"

"It's my patriotic duty," Magpie explains. "Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the empire but we can still be proud. 20 million people they reckon will be watching, imagine that and 20 million people can't be wrong eh. So why don't you get yourself back home and get up bright and early for the big day."

Rose had to admit, he did try to warn her but unfortunately she has to do this. "Nah, I'm not leaving till I've seen everything."

"I need to close," Magpie begged her.

"Mr Magpie," Rose stated softly. "Somethings happening out there, ordinary people are being struck down and changed and the only new thing in the house is a television. Your television, what's going on?"

Rose saw resignation enter Magpies eyes. "I knew this would happen," Magpie stated. "I knew I would be found out."

Rose watched nervously as Magpie locked the door. "You gonna come clean then? What's in it for you?"

"For me," Magpie exclaimed. "Perhaps some peace."

Rose could feel sympathy for Magpie rising in her. "From what?"

"From her," Magpie answers as he nods towards the telly with the ladies face.

Rose takes a closer look. "That's not just a program is it?"

"What a pretty little girl," the Woman compliments.

Rose glares at her. "You shouldn't even be here."

"I can go where I like," the woman answers.

"Who are you?" Rose questions.

"I'm the wire," the woman responds. "And I'm hungry." At that announcement streams of red electricity jump out of the screen and start reaching into Roses mind. The last thing that Rose remembers thinking about is the Doctor before everything fades.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

The Doctor, after being found in the cages with the faceless people was lead up to an office on the second floor which the cops have been using as a base of operations. Where he was promptly shoved into a chair and interrogated. He was despite to find Rose, after leaving her at the Connelly's he felt fear, nervousness and anger coming through their bond until it all fell away and now he can hardly feel anything at all. Now the bond feels like it's being stretched to the breaking point and every time he tries to reach for her mind he finds nothing but emptiness.

"Start from the beginning," the detective demands breaking him out of his thoughts. "Tell me everything you know?"

"Well," the Doctor started as he tried to push thoughts of Rose to the back of his mind for now. "For starters I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet."

The Detective points at him. "Don't get clever with me. You were there today at 50 Florizel street and now breaking into this establishment. Now if your connected to this, make no mistake."

"Well, the thing is," the Doctor explains. "Detective Inspector Bishop."

"How do you know my name?" DI Bishop demands to know.

"It's written inside your collar," the Doctor answers. "Bless your mum. But I can't help thinking, Detective Inspector your not exactly doing much detective inspecting. Are you?"

DI Bishop looks offended. "I'm doing everything in my power," he defends.

"All your doing is grabbing those faceless people and hiding them as fast as you can," the Doctor accused. "Don't tell me, orders from above, coronation day. The eyes of the world on London Town so any sort of problem just gets swept out of sight."

DI Bishop sighs. "The nation has an image to maintain."

"But doesn't it drive you mad," the Doctor burst out. "Doing nothing, don't you want to get out there and investigate."

"Course I do," DI Bishop assured him. "But with all the crowds expected we haven't got the man power. Even if we did this is beyond anything we've ever seen. Just don't know anymore," the Doctor felt sympathy for him, he sounded tired and worn out as he continued. "20 years on the force, I don't even know where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on."

"Well," the Doctor assured him. "That could change."

The Doctor saw hope enter DI Bishops eyes as he asked. "How?"

"Start from the begging," the Doctor ordered. "Tell me everything you know."

The Doctor put his glasses on as DI Bishop showed the Doctor a map with pins on it, pointing to all the places where people with no faces were found. "We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage, it's just blank."

"Is there a pattern?" The Doctor enquires.

"Spreading out from north London, all over the city," DI Bishop explained. "Men, woman, kids, grandparents the only real lead is there's been quite a large number in..."

"Florizel street," the Doctor finishes of for him as he finishes reading the last file.

A knock is at the door before one of the cops walk in with someone who's head is covered by a blanket. "Found another one sir."

"Good going Crabtree," DI Bishop compliments.

The Doctor looks up to see a familiar pink skirt and pink heels. He knows that the detectives speaking but it's all background noise as he moves closer while the blanket is taken off and he's looking at Rose with no face. "Rose," he whispers as his hearts drop but his anger rises.

"Do you know her?" DI Bishop questions, breaking the Doctor out of his anger.

"Know her?" The Doctor repeats. "She's my everything."

The Doctors mind shut everything else out while he tried as hard as he could to reach Rose through their bond. All he managed to get though was his name being called repeatedly. He felt his anger continue to rise till he was shaking to try and suppress it until something that was said registered with him.

"They did what?" The Doctor asked in a deceptively calm voice.

"I'm sorry?" DI Bishop questioned.

At this point it wouldn't take much for his hold over his anger to snap. "They left her where?"

"Just in the street," DI Bishop answered unknowingly.

And thats all it took for his hold to snap and his anger ran unchecked. "The street. They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street, and as a result that makes things simple, very, very simple. Do you know why?"

"No," DI Bishop answers confused.

The Doctor rips off his glasses and turns to look at DI Bishop with the oncoming storm brewing in his eyes. "Cause now, Detective Inspector Bishop. There is no power on this Earth that can stop me. Come on," the Doctor orders as he runs outside and through the gates to find the sun rising on a new day.

"The big day dawns," DI Bishop remarks as he follows the Doctor to Florizel street.

The Doctor heads straight for the one place he saw Rose last, the Connelly's with DI Bishop behind him. Ringing the doorbell he hears someone coming to answer the door. The door opens and he finds Tommy greeting him.

The Doctor tries to tamp down on some of his anger. "Tommy, talk to me," Tommy steps out and closes the door most of the way before turning back to the Doctor. "I need to know exactly what happened inside your house?"

Before Tommy could say anything the door was thrown open again and Mr Connelly was standing there in anger. "What the blazes do you think you are doing?" He demands of Tommy.

"I want to help dad," Tommy insists.

"Mr Connelly," the Doctor intervenes.

Mr Connelly steps up to the Doctor. "Shut your face you, whoever you are. We can handle this ourselves," he moves back to Tommy. "Listen you little twerp, your only out of the bloomin' cradle so I don't expect you to understand but I've got a reputation to maintain. People around here respect me. It matters what people think."

Realisation enters Tommy's eyes. "Is that why you did it dad?"

Mr Connelly backs of a bit. "What do you mean? Did what?"

"You ratted on gran," Tommy accused. "How else would the police know where to look unless some coward told them."

Mr Connelly's anger snapped. "How dare you. You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward."

"You don't get it, do you?" Tommy continued. "You fought against fascism remember. People telling you how to live, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it, you were fighting so that little twerps like me could do what we want, say what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone haven't you? Even gran, all to protect your precious reputation."

Mrs Connelly suddenly appears at the door. "Eddie," she questioned. "Is that true?"

"I did it for us, Rita," Mr Connelly tries to justify. "She was filthy, a filthy disgusting thing."

"She's my mother," Mrs Connelly reminds him. "All the others, you informed on all the people in our street. Our friends."

"I had to," Mr Connelly continued unsurely. "I did the right thing."

"The right thing for us or for you, Eddie," Mrs Connelly points out before turning to Tommy. "You go Tommy, go with the Doctor and do some good. Get away from this house cause it's poison. We had a ruddy monster under our roof alright but it weren't my mother," she finishes as she closes the door.

"Tommy," the Doctor calls as they leave Mr Connelly on the doorstep alone. They walk down Florizel street in between tables being laid out, ready for a street party and kids playing. "Tommy, tell me everything about that night. The night she changed."

"She was just watching the telly," Tommy shrugged.

Something Rose said when they first arrived suddenly flashed into his head and he looked up to see an uncommon amount of TV antenna around. "Rose said it," he thought aloud. "She guessed it straight away, of course she did. All these aerials in one little street, how come?"

"From up the road," Tommy explained. "Mr Magpie, he's selling them cheap."

"Come on," the Doctor yells as they follow him.

The Doctor reaches Magpies shop and breaks the glass, ignoring DI Bishops complaining. Reaching in he unlocks the door and barges in, walking up to the counter he starts ringing the bell furiously. "If your here, come out and talk to me Magpie."

"Maybe he's out," Tommy voices as the Doctor stops ringing the bell.

"Looks like it," the Doctor agreed before moving around the counter and looking through the draws. Opening one up he pulls out a portable TV that should be no where near ready in the '50s. "Hello, this isn't right. This is very much not right," he comments as he licks the casing. He analyses the taste before explaining. "Tastes like iron, bakelite. Knocked together by human hands but the design itself," the Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to do a more in depth analyses. "Oh beautiful work. That is so simple."

"That's incredible," DI Bishop states in awe. "It's a television but portable. A portable television."

The Doctor just noticed that his sonic is reacting to something else in the room. Holding it up he tries to pin point the source. "It's not the only power source in this room."

They look around as different faces show up on the TVs around the shop. "Gran," Tommy calls out as he recognises his grans face in one.

The Doctors looking around for Roses face, he knows she's here somewhere. He finally finds her on a telly near the floor, he notices that while the others are calling out for help, she's calling out for him, he kneels down to get closer to her. "I'm on my way," the Doctor promises her.

Magpie suddenly enters from the back. "What do you think you are doing?"

The Doctor feels his anger come back as he stands to face Magpie. "I want my mate restored and I think that's a little beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell me who's really in charge here?"

"Yo ho," the Doctor hears a woman's voice. Turning he notices a woman on the telly. "I think that must be me. Oh, this ones smart," the woman compliments as the Doctor, Tommy and DI Bishop moved to stand in front of her.

"Is she talking to us?" DI Bishop questions.

"I'm sorry," Magpie apologises. "Gentleman, I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my friend."

"Jolly nice to met you," the woman on the telly greets.

"Oh my god, it's her," DI Bishop points out the obvious. "That woman on the telly."

"No, it's just using her image," the Doctor explains as he starts to come up with a plan to stop her and restore all the people.

Tommy glances at her in disbelief. "What? What are you?"

"I'm the wire," she informs them. "And I will gobble you up pretty boy, every last morsel and when I have feasted I shall regain the corporal body which my fellow kind denied me," by the time she finished talking her picture had turned to colour.

"Good lord," DI Bishop exclaimed. "Colour television."

"So your own people tried to stop you," the Doctor worked out.

"They executed me," she sneered. "But I escaped, in this form and fled across the stars."

"And now your trapped in the television," the Doctor pointed out.

She glared at him. "Not for much longer," she informed him.

"Doctor," Tommy called. "Is this what got my gran?"

"Yes Tommy," the Doctor agreed. "It feeds off the electrical energy of the brain but it gorges itself like a great over fed pig. Taking people's faces, their essence, it stuffs itself."

DI Bishop turned to Magpie and accused. "You let her do it Magpie."

"I had to," Magpie explained. "She allowed me my face. She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Tommy questions confused.

"The appointed time," the wire hints. "My crowning glory."

Understanding comes to them. "Doctor the coronation," DI Bishop cries.

"For the first time in history," the Doctor agreed. "Millions gathered around a television set," something suddenly occurred to him. "But your not strong enough yet are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this," the Doctor waves the portable telly in front of her. "You need something more powerful. This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."

"What a clever thing you are," the wire compliments. "But why fret about it, kick of your shoes and enjoy the coronation. Believe me, you'll be glued to the television screen," electricity suddenly stretches out and attaches to their faces.

All the Doctor can do is think of Rose but it gives him the strength he needs to get out the sonic screwdriver and point it at the screen. Before he can push the button the wire retreats and the Doctor, Tommy and DI Bishop fall to the floor unconscious.

For the second time in 24 hours the Doctor was waking up, it was getting a bit ridiculous. First thing he noticed was that the portable telly was gone, the second was that DI Bishops face has been taken. Seeing Tommy lying next to him, thankfully with his face still he moves to wake him up. "Tommy, wake up," he calls. "Tommy come on," he yells as he sees Tommy start to wake up.

"What happened?" Tommy questioned.

"Where's Magpie?" The Doctor exclaimed as he rushed out the door to find Magpies truck gone.

Tommy follows him out. "We don't even know where to start looking," Tommy points out. "It's too late."

"No," the Doctor disagreed. "It's never too late as a wise person once said. Kylie I think," the Doctor comments. "The wires got big plans. She's got to harvest half a population. Millions and millions of people, where are we?"

"Muswell hill," Tommy informs him.

"Muswell hill," the Doctor repeats before something clicks. "Muswell hill. Which means, Alexandra palace, the biggest TV antenna in North London. Oh, that's why it choose this place. Tommy," the Doctor called as he headed back into Magpies shop.

"Where are you going?" Tommy calls to him. "What are you going to do?"

The Doctor turns back to look at him as he replies. "I'm going shopping."

Tommy follows the Doctor back into the shop as he starts rummaging around for parts. He points Tommy to a part he needs while he organises the rest of the parts. Tommy holds up a light bulb. "This what you want?"

The Doctor adds it to the pile he's already made. "Perfect," he exclaims. "Right," the Doctor states as he places the pile in Tommy's arms. "I need one more thing," the Doctor explains as he runs out the door and to the TARDIS. He comes back out with a video tape in his hand. "Got it," he exclaims. "Let's go," he urges as he and Tommy run towards the palace.

As they run the Doctor starts piecing together the device he's making. He's almost finished when they get close to the TV antenna and Tommy points out. "There," looking up the Doctor sees Magpie climbing.

"Come on," he urges Tommy as he sees a guard move to stop him. He flashes the psychic paper at the guard on the way past.

"Shouldn't you be at the coronation?" The guard yells after him.

"Their saving me a seat," the Doctor yells back not slowing down.

"Who did he think you were?" Tommy asked as the Doctor looked at the psychic paper.

"King of Belgium apparently," the Doctor shows him.

The Doctor runs into the control room and hooks up the device to the grid before turning to Tommy. "Keep that switched on," he orders before looping a spool of wire around his waist. "Everything depends on it, you understand?" Tommy nods his head as the doctor runs out the door trailing wire as he goes.

The Doctor attaches the spool of wire to his waist which trails down to his foot so he's trailing wire behind himself as he runs to the big antenna and starts to climb.

"You'll get yourself killed up there," the guard yells.

The Doctor ignores him and continues to climb. He's close to Magpie when he notices her electrical current stretching out from the top of the antenna.

"Oh, feast, feast," he hears the wire cry out. "The wire is feasting."

"It's to late," Magpie calls to the Doctor. "It's too late for all of us."

"I shall consume you, Doctor," the wire calls out as she sends a shot of electricity towards him.

The Doctor grits his teeth as he's hit, he looses his footing and he's only holding on by his hands. He struggles until he regains his footing and continues to climb. "I won't let you do this Magpie," the Doctor called out.

"Help me Doctor," Magpie cries out. "It burns, it took my face, my soul."

"You can not stop the wire," the wire informs him as the Doctor draws even with them. "Soon I shall become manifest."

The Doctors struck again and he just barely managers to hold on by his fingers before finding his footing again.

"No, no more of this," Magpie cries out. "You promised me peace."

"And peace you shall have," the wire agrees before striking Magpie and vaporising him.

The Doctor turned away from the bright light before turning back to the wire as she continues to laugh. The Doctor reaches for the portable TV as she shocks his hand. He yells as he pulls his hand back. "Been burning the candle at both ends. You've over extended yourself misses. You shouldn't off had a crack at poor old Magpie there," the Doctor states as he reaches and picks up the portable telly again. She continues to try and shock him but he manages to keep hold. The Doctor reaches for the wire he had been trailing behind him and attached it to the portable telly.

Just when he thinks it's gonna work, it stops. "Oh dear," the wire commiserates. "Has our little plan gone horribly wrong, Doctor."

The Doctors mind starts going over what else he could do to stop the wire when the device he cobbled together starts working. He watches as the electrical currents she sent out return back to the portable telly before that too is shut down. "It's closed now I'm afraid," the Doctor informs her as she looses power. "And no epilogue."

The moment she disappears the Doctor feels his bond with Rose snap back to full strength. Smiling he climbs back down and makes his way back to the control centre. Walking in he sees Tommy leaning on the control panel watching the end of the coronation.

"What have I missed?" The Doctor asks startling Tommy.

"Doctor," Tommy exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Sorted," the Doctor assured him as he walked towards the device he created. "Electrical creature, TV technology another alien life form, that's me by the way, I turned the receiver back into a transmitter and I trapped the wire in here," he pushes a button and a video tape pops out. "I just invented the home video 30 years early," he states as he places the tape in his pocket. He looks up at the screens then to see the crown being placed on Elizabeth's head. "Oh, look at that. God save the Queen, aye."

The Doctor and Tommy walk back to the warehouse to find all the people with their faces back. Tommy, as soon as he sees his gran, runs and hugs her. The Doctor looked around until he spotted Rose chatting with someone else. The moment she spots him a smile breaks out on her face and a matching one appears on his face.

The moment Rose spots the Doctor, joy bursts in her heart. She can also feel his relief and happiness through their bond. They run towards each other and she breaths easier when she feels the Doctors arms wrap around her.

Rose and the Doctor follow Tommy and his gran back to Florizel street and the street party being held. They mingle with the other people as Rose turns to the Doctor. "This is so much better than being down at the Palace with the crowds."

"Yep," the Doctor agreed. "That's just pomp and circumstance this is history right here."

"The domestic approach," Rose teases.

"Exactly," the Doctor agreed before realising what he agreed to and sighing. "I never thought anyone could turn be domestic, guess I can be wrong."

Rose let out a quick laugh before patting his chest. "It's alright Doctor, I won't tell anyone else," Rose assures him before turning serious. "But you did trap that thing for good?"

"Hope so," is the Doctors not so confident reply. "Just to be on the safe side though, I'll use my unrivalled knowledge of transtemple expatiation method to neutralise the electronic pattern."

Rose looked at him in exasperation. "Did you just use a fancy term for saying, your going to tape over it."

The Doctor grinned at her. "Can't fool you can I," they noticed Tommy walk up to them. "Tell you what, Tommy," the Doctor comments. "You can have the scooter, bit of a present. Best keep it in the garage for a few years though."

"Good riddance," they hear Tommy comment and look over to see Mr Connelly walking away with a suitcase in his hand.

"Is that it then Tommy," the Doctor hints. "New monarch, new age, new world. No room for a male like Eddie Connelly."

"That's right," Tommy agreed. "He deserves it."

Rose can't help but think off all the times she lost her own father. "Go to him, Tommy."

Tommy turns to her, confused. "What for?"

"He's your dad," Rose points out.

"He's an idiot," Tommy exclaimed.

"Cause he is," Rose agreed. "He's your dad. But your clever, clever enough to save the world so don't stop there. Go on," she urges and they watch as Tommy talks to his dad.

The Doctor hands her a glass of juice and they toast to being alive and saving the world before heading back to the TARDIS and onto the next adventure.


	15. Interlude 7

It was a few adventures later that the Doctor saw something that had his mind racing and him starting to worry.

It started as any other adventure, while the Doctor waited for Rose to come out he landed them on a planet he thought she might like. The Doctor grinned as she came skipping back into the console room. "So go on Doctor, tell me where are we?"

The Doctor grinned at her enthusiasm, throwing open the doors he exclaimed. "Welcome to Algirae 5. The main species are the Drazirites, an amoebic species with the ability to shift shape though they keep their natural colour."

Roses eyes widened as she leaned closer to the Doctor. "They look like blue and yellow blobs," Rose whispered.

"Don't say that in front of them," the Doctor replied just as two of the blue blobs came up to them.

As they got closer they shifted shape til they were an exact copy of Rose and the Doctor but with blue skin. "Greetings travellers," the Drazirites welcomed them.

Rose and the Doctor returned the greeting then followed them towards a mansion like building to be presented to their head of state as the Doctor pointed out. "The blues are the political and cultural elite and the yellows are the general population. The elite withholds scientific knowledge to keep the general population ignorant. What is strange is that their head of state is an unintelligent food animal, which is thought to carry the reincarnated soul of one of their greatest generals."

It was when they were presented to the head of state that they ran into a rebellion, apparently the general population wasn't as ignorant as the elite thought. It was while they were trying to get back to the TARDIS that a missile exploded extremely close to them and Rose was knocked unconscious. The Doctor managed to get her back to the TARDIS with out any more incidents and he took her straight to the med bay.

He assessed her injuries and realised she has a deep gash on her head and several on her arms and back. He turned around to get the full body scan ready and when he turned back he noticed the gash on her head had a slight gold tinge to it. On closer inspection it looked like the light that happens when a Time Lord regenerates but seems localised only to the areas she's been hurt. Before he could scan the anomaly it disappeared and Rose didn't have a scratch on her.

Rose woke up a few hours later to the Doctor watching her strangely. "What happened?"

"You were injured badly but I managed to get you back to the TARDIS so I could heal you," the Doctor explained.

He was starting to worry Rose the way he kept staring at her.** "I'm sorry Rose,"** Bad Wolf apologised.** "You were injured quiet badly that I had to release some of your energy to heal you and he might've seen something."**

Finally understanding why the Doctor was staring at her strangely she turned back to the Doctor. "Is there something you wanna ask me?"

"How long have you been able to heal yourself?" The Doctor started.

Rose took a deep breathe. "Since I was born," Rose decided to be honest with him.

The Doctors jaw dropped in disbelief. "That energy is very similar to regeneration energy, how could you use it?"

Rose understood that he wasn't being deliberately rude he's just shocked. Rose walked up to him and put her hand on the side off his face, smiling when he leaned into her hand. "I didn't know until I found out a while ago. I promise to tell you everything as soon as the time is right, I promise."

Rose held her breathe as she saw the Doctors mind working to put all the puzzle pieces that was her together before reluctantly nodding in agreement. To get both their minds off the past the TARDIS decided to take them on more adventures.


	16. Black holes and gateways

Rose walked into the console room to find the Doctor tinkering under the console yet again. The moment she walked up to him, he pulled himself up from under the grating. "So where would you like to go today?" He enquired.

"Why don't we let the TARDIS decide," Rose grinned at him. "Please, let me," Rose pleaded. Following the TARDIS's and the Doctors directions she set the TARDIS on random.

It was a very rough ride like the TARDIS was trying to force herself through something. The moment they landed Roses stomach started churning but it didn't feel like her that was feeling that way. Reaching out to the TARDIS through their bond she realised it was what the TARDIS was feeling.

**"Rose,"** Bad Wolf sounded weak as she called to her.** "I can't help much, like the TARDIS the black hole affects us both."**

That's when Rose remembered what could cause the TARDIS to feel this way. She would have to face the beast, she wonders what the beast would say about her this time.

"Somethings wrong with the TARDIS, Doctor," Rose pointed out as she followed him through the doors.

"I know but I don't know what's wrong with her," the Doctor informs Rose. "She seems queasy. Indigestion when we landed."

"Well if you think it's going to be a problem, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else?" Rose suggests while holding back a smile, she knows he'll never leave if he can help it.

Both Rose and the Doctor burst out laughing suddenly. Even Rose knows that they wouldn't be here unless they needed to be. The Doctor manages to calm down enough to get a look around. "I think we've landed inside a cupboard, here we go."

The Doctor opened the door as a computerised voice informs them. _"Open door fifteen."_

"Some sort of base," the Doctor commented as Rose closed the door behind herself. "Moon-base, sea-base, space-base. They built these things out of kits."

Rose follows the Doctor to another door as she hints. "Glad we're indoors, that sounds like one hell of a storm out there," Rose sees the Doctor open another door and follows him through into a corridor.

"You humans and your designs," the Doctor complained. "You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat packed wardrobe, only bigger and easier," the Doctor continued as he reached another door, opening it and walking through into a mess hall. "Oh It's a sanctuary base," the Doctor exclaimed happily as he finally figured out where they were. "Deep space exploration, we've gone way out and listen to that," he urged Rose to stop and listen. "Underneath, someone's drilling."

Rose looks up and sees what's written on the wall. "Welcome to hell."

"Oh, it's not that bad," the Doctor insists.

Rose laughs at his hurt looking face. "No," she pointed out the sign to him. "Over there."

The Doctor turns and sees what's written on the wall, he takes special note of what's written under the words. "Hold on," the Doctor states. "What does that say," the Doctor moves closer to the symbols. "It's weird, it won't translate."

"But the TARDIS only translates what she knows," Rose points out.

"Exactly," the Doctor agrees. "If that's not working then it means this writing is old. Very old, impossibly old."

The longer Rose watches the symbols, the more they seem to make sense to her. Rose pales as she sees what they say and it sends fear through her.

**"Rose, calm down,"** Bad Wolf tries to calm her though she's really weak.** "I'm only one of many guardians, we have been here since before the beginning of this universe. We were the ones that trapped the beast in the pit. It is only fitting that now in this time you and the Doctor are here because there is now a means to kill the beast. Before we had no way of killing it, we could only trap it."**

Rose tried to take a few deep breathes. Hearing her the Doctor looked up and grew concerned when he saw how pale Rose was. "Rose, are you alright?"

Rose waved him off as she calmed down. "I think I'm just feeling what the TARDIS is feeling. It's alright it's already passed, I think the TARDIS is trying to block it from me as much as she can."

Giving her one more sceptical look he turned to the next door. "We better find out who's in charge," he moves to open another door. "We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge, not a good move and if someone's looking for ...," the Doctor breaks off as the door opens and they come face to face with aliens with tentacles just under their noses like a moustache. "Oh, right, hello," the Doctor greets. "Sorry, um, I was just saying, nice base."

Their all holding orbs in their hands. The middle ones orb lights up as it speaks. "We must feed."

"You gonna what?" The Doctor questions.

"We must feed," they repeat as they start moving towards Rose and the Doctor.

They backed up as the aliens advanced towards them. "I think they mean they want to feed us?" Rose pointed out.

"We must feed," the aliens continued to advance.

The Doctor grabbed Roses hand and ran back towards the door they came from to find more of the aliens entering through that door as well.

"We must feed," the aliens kept repeating as they continued to advance.

Rose tried to send calming thoughts to the Doctor as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver to threaten them with. They were finally backed into a corner with no where to go. Suddenly the alien directly in front of them shook it's glowing ball before saying. "You. If you are hungry."

Shocked, the Doctor lowered his arm holding the sonic screwdriver. "Sorry," he questioned, his mind was still stuck on survival mode so it took a minute or two for the question to register.

"We apologise," the aliens explained. "Electromagnetic's have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshments?"

_"Open door 18,"_ the computerised voice intones as the door opened and humans entered carrying guns.

Rose smirked at the shocked looks on their faces. "What the hell?" One soldier questions. "How did you?" The aliens moved aside as the soldiers approached till they were standing right in front of Rose and the Doctor. The one in the middle opens up his comm link. "Captain, your not going to believe this but we've got people. Out of no where, I mean real people. I mean two living people just standing here right in front of me."

"Don't be stupid," a voice which must belong to the captain responds. "That's impossible."

"I suggest telling them that," the soldier responds.

Rose questioned him. "I take it you don't get many visitors out here?"

"You telling me, you don't know where you are?" The soldier asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "No idea. More fun that way," he grins.

A voice comes over the intercom. "Standby everyone, buckle down. We have incoming and it's a big one, 8.5 and it's on it's way."

The soldier who spoke to them ran up to the door they came through and opened it. "Through here, now," he urged them. "Quickly, come on."

The Doctor urged Rose through before following her as the base began to shake. They rushed through a corridor while trying to keep on their feet as the quake got worse. The soldier behind them continued to urge them on as he ushered them through another door and into what looks like the control centre. They stood at the top of some stairs as everyone stared at them.

"Oh my god," one of the crew exclaimed. "You meant it."

"People, look at that, real people," a female member exclaimed.

The Doctor nodded again. "That's us hurry," he replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, definitely real," Rose agreed. "My names Rose. Rose Tyler and this is the Doctor."

One of the younger males jumps up and moves towards them. "Come on, the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating, they can't be," he pokes the Doctors shoulder. "Their real."

Suddenly someone who must be the captain yells out. "Come on, where in the middle of an alert. Danny strap up, the quake coming in. Impact in 30 seconds," he informs everyone who rushes around doing as their told. Then he turns to the Doctor and Rose. "You two, whoever you are, just hold on tight."

Rose grabs a railing and sits on the stairs, at least that way she won't fall down and she urges the Doctor to sit next to her cause last time he did.

"Ood are we fixed?" The captain enquires of the aliens.

One of the Ood's balls light up. "Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated."

"What's this planet called anyway?" The Doctor enquired.

"Oh, don't be stupid," the other female crew member scoffed. "It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?" The Doctor stared at her without blinking. "You really don't know, do you?"

The captain interrupts her. "And impact," he states just as the base shakes violently. Rose stops the Doctor as he goes to get up again knowing that there's another violent shake coming. A couple of fires start up and as soon as the shaking stopped the soldier that first met them ran down with a fire extinguisher to put them out.

"Ok that's it," the captain confirms. "Everyone alright? Speak to me Ida," the captain orders.

"Yeah, yeah," Ida confirms.

"Danny," the captain continues to call out.

"Fine," Danny confirms.

"Toby?" The captain continues.

Toby looks up from what he's doing. "Yeah fine."

"Scooti?" The captain enquires.

"No damage," Scooti confirms.

"Jefferson," the captain calls.

"Check," Jefferson calls back.

The Doctor rolls his eyes. "Yeah, everything's fine. Don't worry about us."

The captain ignores him. "The surface caved in. I deflected it onto storage 5 thru 8. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department," Toby complained.

"Just do as I say, yeah," the captain orders. They stare at each other a few seconds before Toby heads out.

"Oxygen is holding, internal pressure at 56.6," Ida informs them. "We should be ok."

Rose was dreading the Doctors reaction when he believes that they've lost the TARDIS. As it is, she can feel their bond with the beloved ship stretched thin. The only thing that's keeping her on this path is knowing that they'll get her back.

**"I know what your thinking Rose,"** Bad Wolf informs her. **"It's already to late for Toby. That pressure your feeling at the back of your mind is the beast. Toby's mind is weaker than the others."**

Rose comes back as she again looks at the roof. "That's one hell of a storm out there."

Scooti shakes her head. "You need an atmosphere for a storm, there's no air out there. It's complete vacuum."

"So what can shake a roof when there's no atmosphere?" Rose queries.

Ida stares at her like she's crazy. "Your not joking. You really don't know? Well introductions, FYI as they said in the olden days," Ida stated as she moved towards Rose and the Doctor. "I'm Ida Scot, science officer," she points to an African American. "Zachary Cross-Flan, acting captain, sir," then she points to the soldier who first met them. "You've met Mr Jefferson, he's head of security," then she's onto an Indian descended male. "Danny Bartok, ethics committee."

"Not as boring as it sounds," Danny points out.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, archeology," Ida continues before putting her arms around the last member of the team and only other female. "And this is Scooti Minister, training maintenance," then she moves to a switch. "And this," she starts as she pulls the switch. "This is home."

"Brace yourselves," Zac warns. "The sight of it can send some people mad."

Rose and the Doctor watch as the roof above them opens up to show a black hole. The Doctor stands up with Rose as he stares at the black hole in shock. "That's a black hole," Rose states as she stares at it worriedly.

"That's impossible," the Doctor stated as his mind worked overtime to figure out what was happening.

"I did warn you," Zac told them.

"We're standing under a black hole," the Doctor continued.

"In orbit," Ida explained.

Still in disbelief the Doctor stated. "We can't be."

"You can see for yourself," Ida continued. "We're in orbit."

The Doctor turned then to look at her. "But we can't be," the Doctor insisted.

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in," Ida explains. "Discuss."

Rose turns to look at the Doctor. "That's bad, yeah."

The Doctor turns back to watch the black hole. "Bad doesn't cover it. Black holes are dead stars compacts in on itself, in and in and in until the matter is so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too," the Doctor explained. "Nothing can escape it, light, gravity, time everything just gets pulled inside and crushed."

"So they can't be in orbit," Rose points out. "We should be pulled right in," Rose continued. That explains why the Bad Wolf and the TARDIS felt unwell as they are both connected to the time vortex.

"We should be dead," the Doctor finished.

"And yet here we are," Ida interrupted. "Beyond the laws of physics. Welcome aboard."

Rose points at the black hole. "So those rocks are remains of planets being broken up are they?"

"Yeah," Ida agrees. "And stars breaking up, gas clouds. We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads before falling into that thing."

"So a bit worse than a storm then," Rose states.

"Just a bit," Ida agreed.

Rose grabs the Doctor as the ground shakes again. Both the Doctor and Rose stand around watching what their doing as the computerised voice intones. "Closing door one."

"The rockets fine," Toby tells them as he walks passed.

Zac brings up a hologram of the black hole for the Doctor to study. "That's the black hole, officially designated K37gem5."

"In the scriptures of Valteno, this planet is called Krop Tor, the bitter pill," Ida explains. "And the black hole is suppose to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring it only to spit it out cause it was poison."

The Doctor looked closer at the black hole hologram as he tried to come up with what could've caused this phenomenon. "So far out, lost in the drift of the universe. How did you even get here?"

"We flew in," Zac answered as he brought up a diagram of the planet. "See this planets creating a gravity field, we don't know how, we have no idea but it's kept in constant balance against the black hole, and the field extends out there as a funnel. A distinct gravity funnel reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

"You flew down that thing," Rose comments impressed.

"By rights the ship should've been torn apart," Zac continued. "We lost the captain which is what put me in charge."

"Your doing a good job," Ida assured him.

Zac shook his head. "Yeah well, needs must."

"But if that funnel closes there's no way out," Danny points out.

"We have fun speculating about that," Scooti adds.

"Oh yeah," Danny agrees. "That's the word. Fun."

The Doctors still analysing their data. "But that field will take phenomenal amount of power. Not just big but of the scale. Can I?" He asks pointing to a calculator.

"Sure help yourself," Ida replies as she passes the calculator over to him.

An Ood walks up to Rose as the Doctor works out the amount of power the funnel takes. "Your refreshment."

"Oh, yeah thanks," Rose replies as she takes a drink from him. She still worries about the Ood and if they really like to be servants. No matter what anyone else thinks. "Thank you. I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"We have no titles, we are as one," the Ood informs her.

Rose walks over to Danny. "Don't they have any names?"

"Oh, come on," Danny scoffs. "Where have you been living? No one names them."

"Well every being should have a name?" Rose questions.

"Their just the Ood," Danny informs her.

"The Ood," Rose repeated.

Danny nodded. "The Ood. Their handy, they work the mine shaft, all the drilling and stuff. Supervision and maintenance, their born for it. Basic slave race."

Rose gives him a disgusted look as he calls them slaves. "You've got slaves?"

"Don't start," Scooti scoffs. "She's one of that lot, friends of the Ood."

"Yeah I am," Rose counters. "Since when do humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves," Danny tries to explain. "If you don't give them orders they just pine away and die."

Rose rolled her eyes. "And you know that cause you've seen it happen or someone told you?" Rose turned to an Ood. "Seriously, you like being ordered about?"

The Ood holds its ball up as it responds. "It is all we crave."

"Whys that then?" Rose continues to question.

The Ood's ball lights up again. "We have nothing else in life."

"Yeah well I use to think like that," Rose explains to them. "Long time ago."

The Doctors voice drew Roses attention away from the Ood. "There you go, you see. To generate that Gravity field and the funnel you'd need a power source with an inverted self extrapolated reflect of 6 to the power of six every six seconds."

"That's a lot of six's," Rose points out.

"And it's impossible," the Doctor adds.

Zac looked shocked. "That took us two years to work that out."

The Doctor sniffed. "I'm very good."

"But that's why we're here," Ida explains. "This power source is 10 miles below through solid rock. Point zero, were drilling down to try and find it."

"It's giving of readings of over 90 states on the brazen scale," Zac adds.

"It could revolutionise modern science," Ida finishes.

"We could use it to fuel the empire," Jefferson pointed out.

The Doctor takes of his glasses. "Or start a war," the Doctor added.

"And it's buried beneath us," Toby picks up. "In the darkness waiting."

"What's your job?" Rose questions. "Chief dramatist."

The Doctor grins at that, he hates people who can't see the positive side. He likes being optimistic.

"Well whatever it is down there," Toby continues. "It's not a natural phenomenon. This planet supported life eons ago before the human race even learned to walk."

"I saw that lettering on the wall," the Doctor pointed out. "Did you do that?"

"Yeah," Toby confirmed. "Copied it from fragments we found, unearthed by the drilling but I can't translate it."

"No, neither can I," the Doctor assured him. "And that's saying something."

"There was some form of civilisation," Toby continued. "They buried something, now it's reaching out, calling us in."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, why would he say that somethings calling out. The Doctor grinned suddenly. "And you came."

Ida watched him confusedly. "How could we not."

"So when it comes right down to it why did you come here?" The Doctor asks excitedly. "Why did you do that, why? I'll tell ya why, because it was there, brilliant," the Doctor turns to Zac. "Excuse me, Zac isn't it?"

"That's me," Zac agreed.

"Just stand there," the Doctor suggests. "Cause I'm gonna hug you. That all right?"

"Suppose so," Zac agreed reluctantly.

Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes at the Doctor. "Here we go, coming in," the Doctor warned him as he reached out and hugged him. "Oh, human beings you are amazing."

"Ah, thank you," Zac accepts, confused.

"But apart from that your completely mad," the Doctor continued. "You should pack your bags, get into your ship and fly for your life."

"You can talk," Ida scoffed. "And how the hell did you get here?"

"Oh," the Doctor hedged. "I've got this, ah, this, um, ship it's hard to explain. It just sort of appears."

"We can show you," Rose offered. "We parked down the corridor from habitation area 3."

Zac watched them carefully. "You mean storage 6?"

"It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah," the Doctor agreed until something clicks in his mind. "Storage 6 but you said. You said 5-8."

The Doctor took off running as Rose followed behind. He reaches the door they first came through and tried opening it, to find that it won't open. He opened the porthole to see nothing but a big hole where the storage was located. Rose put her hand between his shoulder blades as she felt his despair threaten to drown him.

"The TARDIS is gone," the Doctor informed her. "The earthquake, this section collapsed."

"But I can still feel her," Rose tried to send him a feeling of reassurance through their bond.

The Doctor went back to the control centre to talk with Zac. "The ground gave way, the TARDIS must of fallen down right into the heart of the planet, but you've got robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't divert the drilling," Zac explained.

"But I need my ship," the Doctor begged. "It's all I've got, literally the only thing." He sent an apology to Rose, that didn't come out right.

Rose understood what he didn't say, the TARDIS was all he had left from his planet. She sent comfort back to him.

"Doctor," Zac sighed. "We've only got the resource to dig one central shaft down to the power source and that's it. No diversions, no distractions and no exceptions. Your machine is lost, all I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place and that's the end of it."

Ida walked up to him then. "I'll put you on the duty roster, we need someone in the laundry."

The Doctor walked back over to Rose and held her as he tried to fight the despair that threaten to drown him. He felt Rose trying to reassure him but all he can think about is stranding her here. "I've trapped you here."

"No," Rose disagreed. "Don't worry about me. We're on a planet that shouldn't exist underneath a black hole, but we'll find a way out, we always do."

The Doctor hugged her tighter, trying to comfort her as much as himself, she may not accept it but he can feel a small fissure of doubt in her mind. The Doctor decides, since he's here he might as well see if he could decipher the symbols in the habitation area. Rose, having nothing better to do, decides she might as well follow him and keep him out of trouble.

The Doctor pulled a notepad and pen from his pocket as he tried to work out the symbols when the base changed to night mode and music was streamed through the intercom. Rose decided she might as well leave the Doctor to it and grab something to eat. Walking over to the trays she mets Scooti.

"Help yourself," Scooti informs her. "Just don't have the green, or the blue."

Rose grins at her considering all the food is either green or blue as she grabs a tray and moves towards the service window. Looking through she points to a bluish thing. "Bit of that thanks," Rose asks the serving Ood.

"Would you like sauce with that?" The Ood asks her.

"I'll have ago, yeah," Rose accepted. "I did that job once, I was a dinner lady not that I'm calling you a lady. Though I don't know, you might be. Do you actually get paid though, do they give you money?"

The Ood's ball lights up. "The beast and his army shall rise up to make war with mankind."

Rose stares at him shocked. "I'm sorry?"

The Ood taped it's communication ball before saying. "Apologises, I said I hope you enjoy your meal."

Rose gave the Ood a suspicious look before picking up her tray and finding a table to sit at. The Doctor left the writing alone at the moment and went to sit next to Rose as the lights flickered.

Concerned Ida opened her comm link. "Zac, we got a problem?"

"No more than usual," Zac replied. "Got the scarlet system burning up, it might be worth a look."

"You might want to see this," Ida points out. "Moment in history," she mentions and moves to a switch on the wall that opens up the roof above their heads to show them the black hole with a line of red heading towards it, which must be the scarlet system. "There," she states the obvious. "On the edge, that red cloud. That use to be the scarlet system. Home to the Peluty, a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years, disappearing forever. Their planets and Suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed it's passing."

She goes to close the roof but the Doctor stopped her. "No, could you leave it open, just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise."

"How would you know?" Ida questions but concedes to his request. "Scooti, check the lock down. Jefferson, sign of the airlock seals for me," as everyone moves to obey the Doctor and Rose continue to stare at the black hole.

"I've seen films and things here," Rose tries to distract him from his thoughts. "They say that black holes are gateways to another universe."

"Not that one," the Doctor gently explains to her. "It just eats."

"Long way from home," Rose comments.

The Doctor watches her for a few seconds before pointing at the stars near the black hole. "Go that way, turn right, keep going for um, about 500 years and you'll reach the earth."

Rose pulled out her phone then and looked at the no signal sign on her phone. "No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, mum can't call me to complain. It's a shame the TARDIS is grown and not built."

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "With my own planet gone were kind of stuck."

"Well it could be worse," Rose tried to lighten the mood. "This lot said they'd give us a lift."

"And then what?" The Doctor questioned.

Rose just stared at him before shaking her head. "I don't know, find a planet, get a job. Live a life the same as the rest of the universe."

"I'll have to settle down," the Doctor pointed out. "Get a home or something. A proper house with, with doors and things. Carpets, me living in a house. Now that, that is terrifying."

Rose laughed at his horrified look. "You'd have to get a mortgage," Rose teased.

"No," the Doctor denied.

"Oh, yes," Rose countered.

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm dying, that's it I'm dying it is all over."

Rose tried to stop her laughter. "What about me. I'd have to get one too. We could, I don't know, share. Or whatever."

The mood turned solemn again. "I promised Jackie I would always take you back home."

"Everyone leaves home in the end," Rose assures him.

"Not to end up stuck here," the Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah but stuck with you," Rose teased. "It's not so bad."

The Doctor watched her carefully. "Yeah."

"Yeah," Rose confirmed.

Roses phone starts ringing which was odd, a few minutes ago she had no signal. She answered the phone hesitantly as she knew what was going to be happening. "He is awake," a voice warns her. A shiver works its way threw her as she throws her phone away from herself.

"What's wrong Rose?" The Doctor questions, concerned by her reaction.

"There was a voice there that said. 'He is awake'," Rose explained to the Doctor. "The funny thing is though, I could've sworn, when I was getting my dinner. One of the Ood said the exact same thing before correcting itself."

"Let's go check on the Ood," the Doctor suggested as Rose picked up her phone and followed him.

"Evening," the Doctor greeted Danny as they entered Ood habitation.

"Only us," Rose added.

"Oh, the mysterious couple," Danny commented as he continued what he was doing. "How are you settling then? Settling in?"

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "Sorry, straight to business. The Ood, how do they communicate? I mean with each other?"

Danny shook his head. "Oh, just empaths, there's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that it does them much good, their basically a herd race, like cattle."

"This telepathic field," the Doctor interrupts. "Can it pick up messages."

"Cause I was having dinner," Rose jumped in. "And one of the Ood said something well odd."

"Hm," Danny replied. "An odd Ood."

"Then I got something else on my communicator thing," Rose continued.

Danny scoffed. "Oh, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us, there's all sorts of stray transmissions, probably nothing," Danny notices their worried looks. "Look, if their was something wrong, it would show. We monitor their telepathic field, it's the only way to look after them. Their so stupid, they don't even tell us they're I'll."

"Monitor their field," the Doctor picked up. "That's this thing?" He points out as he sees Basic 5 on the screen.

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "But like I said, low level telepathy. They only register basic 5."

As the Doctor and Rose watched the level as it increased. "Well that's not basic 5," the Doctor pointed out. "10, 20 they've gone up to basic 30." As the Doctor called out the numbers Rose noticed the Ood waking up.

"But they can't," Danny disagreed, shocked.

"Doctor, the Ood," Rose called out. Danny ran to check the monitor as the Doctor stood next to Rose as all the Ood turned to look at them.

"What does basic 30 mean?" Rose enquired.

"Well it means that their shouting, screaming inside their heads," Danny exclaimed.

"Or somethings shouting at them," the Doctor suggested.

Danny looked at him confused. "But where is it coming from? What is it saying? What did it say to you?"

"Something about the beast in the pit," Rose informed him.

"What about your communicator," Danny tried again. "What did that say?"

Danny and the Doctor both turned to look at her. "He is awake."

Their heads turned to look at the Ood as they responded as one. "And you shall worship him."

"What the hell," Danny questioned.

The Doctor stared at the Ood thoughtfully. "He is awake," he repeated.

"And you will worship him," the Ood repeated.

"Worship who?" The Doctor questioned but the Ood never responded. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?"

The Doctor and Rose moved down to examine the Ood when the base shook suddenly. Danny moved back from the monitor as sparks erupted.

"Hull breach," the computer announced. "Emergency, hull breach."

Danny got on his communicator. "What section?"

"Everyone evacuate 11 through 13, we've got a breach. The base is open, repeat the base is open," Zac's voice came through over the intercom. The Doctor, Rose and Danny run through the corridors as the base continues to quake.

"I can't contain the oxygen field," Zac explains over the intercom.

They make it to a door that Jefferson was holding open for them. "Come on," Jefferson yelled. "Keep moving."

Once the door was closed and locked the Doctor mentally did a tally of who was there. "You alright? What happened, what was it?"

"Hull breach," Jefferson answered. "We were open to the elements. Another couple of minutes, we would've been inspecting that black hole at close quarters.

"That wasn't a quake," the Doctor pointed out. "What caused it?"

"We've lost sections 11 to 13," Zac informs them. "Everyone alright?"

Jefferson got on his communicator. "We've got everyone here except Scooti. Scooti report," Jefferson calls through his communicator. "Scooti Minesta report," Jefferson calls again. "That's an order, report."

Zac comes over the intercom again. "She's alright, I've picked up her bio-chip, she's in habitation 3. How about that aye, we survived."

"Habitation 3," Jefferson questions. "Come on, I don't often say this but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on," he calls as he leads everyone to habitation 3.

The Doctor notices Toby's scared look and bends down to ask him. "What happened?"

"I don't, I don't know," Toby stuttered. "I was working and then I can't remember all, all that noise, the room was falling apart and there was no air."

"Come on," the Doctor suggests. "I think you could use a drink," he urged Toby as he looked curiously at Rose. Usually she's the first person to offer comfort to someone yet she looks at Toby like she doesn't trust him.

Rose, noticing his look gives him a weak smile. "Come on," she urges grabbing his hand. "Let's have some protein one."

"Oh," the Doctor pouted. "You've gone native."

"Don't knock it, it's nice," Rose assured the Doctor. "Protein one with just a dash of 3."

The Doctor and Rose walked into habitation 3 to find everyone looking around with worried looks on their faces. Jefferson gets back on his communicator. "Zac, we have a problem. Scooti's still missing."

"But it says habitation 3," Zac countered.

"Yeah well that's where I am and I'm telling you she's not here," Jefferson calls back in frustration.

The Doctor looks up to the black hole and finds Scooti outside the glass. "I found her."

Everyone looks to the Doctor then follows his line of sight towards the black hole to see what he saw. Rose gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand, she had forgotten that Scooti was killed. She felt guilt swamp her for that oversight. "Oh my god," Rose exclaimed.

"Sorry," the Doctor apologised. "I'm so sorry," he watched with the others as she disappeared into the black hole. He grabs Roses hand and squeezes it while trying to send reassuring thoughts to her.

Jefferson got back on his communicator. "Captain, report. Officer Scooti Minister PKD deceased 43k 2.1."

"She was 20," Ida commented. "20 years old," she finished before walking over and pulling the lever to close the shutters.

"For how a man died better than facing fearful odds. For the ashes father and the Devils of his gods," Jefferson recited.

They heard the vibrations that had been going on since they arrived stop suddenly. "It's stopped," Ida pointed out.

"Has the drill stopped?" Rose questioned the Doctor.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed.

"We've stopped drilling," Ida continued. "We've made it. Point zero."

They waited til the morning before deciding to send someone down.

They all move to the drilling chamber to prep a capsule for lowering people down to the centre of the planet. Rose stood back and watched them work while waiting for the Doctor to get ready.

"The mine shaft is a go," Ida called out as she walked up in an orange suit. "Bring systems online, now."

The Doctor walked up to Zac then in an orange suit himself. "Reporting as a volunteer, sir."

"Doctor, this is breaking every single protocol," Zac points out. "We don't even know who you are."

"Yeah but you trust me don't you," the Doctor insists. "And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on,"the Doctor urged. "Look me in the eye, yes you do I can see it. You trust me."

"I should be going down," Zac informed him.

"The captain doesn't leave the mission," the Doctor reminds Zac. "He stays here, in charge."

Zac shakes his head. "I'm not much good here. Am I?" Zac sighs as he makes up his mind. "Positions, we're going down in two, everyone, positions."

Rose notices the Doctor then and walks up to him. "Oxygen, nitro balance, gravity," the Doctor checks the suits systems before looking up at Rose to see a worried look in her eyes. "I've always wanted one of these," he grins at her but Rose found it hard to smile back.

She knows he needs to go down so he can find the TARDIS and save them all. "I want that suit back in one piece, you got that."

"Yes sir," the Doctor agreed. He gave her a quick, passionate kiss before pulling on the helmet.

"It's funny cause people back home think that space travels gonna be all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity but it's not is it?" Rose questions. "It's tough."

"I'll see ya later," the Doctor assured her.

Rose produced a small smile at that. "Not if I see ya first," Rose kissed his helmet for luck before he stepped into the pod.

Zac's voice came over the intercom then. "Capsule active, counting down in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, release."

Rose waved to the Doctor as the capsule descended down the drill shaft then she ran to the comm system. The Doctor held on as the capsule descended. He tried not to think about Rose being up there with out his protection.

Zac's voice came over the comm system then. "You've gone beyond the oxygen field. Your on your own." The Doctor and Ida switched on the oxygen and made sure it was working properly.

Rose was trying to stop her feelings from getting through to the Doctor. She didn't want to distract him from what he needs to do. The whole base shakes suddenly as the capsule reaches the bottom of the shaft. "Doctor, Doctor are you alright?"

"Ida, report to me," Zac called at the same time. "Doctor?"

"It's alright," the Doctor informed them. "We've made it. Heading out of the capsule now," the Doctor informed them as he opened up the door to the capsule and stepped out.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "What's it like down there?" She enquired.

"It's hard to tell," the Doctor informs her as he looks about the cavern. "Some sort of cave, cavern, it's massive."

"Well this should help," Ida pointed out as she pulled a globe out of her bag and threw it in to the air. "Gravity globe," the moment it reached a certain height it lit up the whole cavern.

The cavern itself had half destroyed statues and pottery littering the floor and walls. "It's, it's, its," Ida couldn't seem to get it out. "My god it's beautiful."

"Rose," the Doctor called as he pictured the cavern as he saw it, then sent it to her through their bond. "You can tell Toby, we found his civilisation."

Rose received the picture the Doctor sent and sent back her own message. "It's beautiful," before turning to Toby. "Oy Toby, plenty of work."

"Concentrate now people," Zac reminds them. "Keep on the mission. Ida, what about the power source?"

"We're close," Ida informs them. "Energy signature indicates north, north west are you getting pictures up there?"

"There's too much interference," Zac tells her. "We're in your hands."

Ida sighed. "Well, we've come this far there's no turning back."

"Oh did you have too," the Doctor whined. "No turning back, that's almost as bad as nothing could possibly go wrong or this is going to be the best Christmas we've ever had."

Ida turned on him suddenly. "You finished?"

The Doctor watched her quietly for a minute. "Yeah, finished," he ignored Ida's annoyed look as he walked past her to continue exploring.

Rose was grinning as the Doctor ranted when she heard Danny talk over the comm system. "Captain sir, there's something happening with the Ood."

"What are they doing?" Zac questioned.

"Their staring at me," Danny replied. "I've told them to stop but they won't."

Zac sighed. "Danny your a big boy, think you can take being stared at."

"But the telepathic field, sir," Danny continued. "It's at basic 100. I've checked and there isn't any fault, it's defiantly 100."

"But that's impossible," Zac responds confused.

"Shouldn't they be dead," Rose pointed out.

"Yeah," Danny agreed.

"Basic 100s brain dead," Jefferson explained.

"But their safe," Zac enquired. "Their not actually moving?"

"No sir," Danny agreed.

"Keep watching them," Zac ordered. "And you Jefferson. Keep a guard on the Ood."

Jefferson picked up his weapon. "Officer at arms," he ordered.

Rose watched him for a moment before an idea came to her. "Those weapons have rubber bullets don't they?"

"Yeah," Jefferson agreed. "Firing stock 15, only effective on organics."

"Do you have anything else you can use?"Rose bites her lip as she waits for his answer.

Jefferson nodded. "Yeah, we have flash grenades as well. Great for if your surrounded, knocks them out for a minute or two."

Rose didn't see anything like what he explained on him. Realising what she was looking for, he pointed at a small pouch his fellow soldier had on her belt. Roses mind started working as she came up with a plan to save him.

"Keep watch," Jefferson ordered the other soldier. "Guard them."

"Yes sir," the soldier agreed.

Rose was tempted to tell them to guard Toby as well but the only way to kill the beast would be to throw him into the black hole.

The Doctors worry increased, every time Rose withdrew her mind from him, he knows it's because somethings wrong. "Is everything alright up there?"

"Yep, yeah," Rose quickly responded so as to not worry the Doctor.

"It's fine," Zac replied.

"Great," Danny added on.

The Doctor scoffed quietly as he noticed a giant, round metal structure on the ground. The rest of the team were almost as bad liars as Rose was. "We found something," he informed them, letting the lie go for now. "Looks like metal, in a circle. I've got a nasty feeling the word might be trap door. Not a good word, trap door, never met a trapdoor I like."

"The edge is covered with those symbols," Ida interrupted.

"Do you think it opens?" Zac questioned.

"That's what trap doors tend to do," the Doctor reminded him.

Ida starts walking around the object as she exclaims. "Trap door doesn't do it justice. It's massive, it's like 30 feet in diameter,

"Any way of opening it?" Zac asks.

"Oh no," Ida answers. "I can't see any sort of mechanism."

The Doctor stepped back off the metal structure. "I suppose that's the writing that will tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation."

"Toby did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Zac calls to him.

Rose watches Toby closely, she knows what's coming and it's not going to be pleasant. "Toby they need to know, that lettering does it make any sort of sense?"

"I know what it says," Toby replies in a deeper voice than normal.

"Then tell them," Rose pointed out.

Jefferson rolled his eyes. "When did you work that one out?"

Rose was turning to Jefferson when she noticed Toby rising to his feet. "It doesn't matter, just tell them."

Toby turned to them then and they could see his eyes had turned red and he had those strange symbols all over his face. "These are the words of the beast and he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness, he is the blood that will never cease," Jefferson and the other soldiers move their weapons to cover Toby instead. "And now he will rise."

"Officer stand down," Jefferson ordered. "Stand down."

The Doctor starts worrying , Rose is blocking him out and he can hear that somethings going on while he's stuck down in a cavern. "What is it, what's he done? What's happening, Rose? What's going on?" Only static comes over the comm link.

"Stand down and be confined," Jefferson orders Toby. "Immediately."

The beast inhabiting Toby looks at Jefferson thoughtfully. "Mr Jefferson tell me sir. Did your wife ever forgive you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Jefferson insisted.

"Let me tell you a secret," the beast continued, ignoring him. "She never did."

Jefferson gulped at that truth before ordering. "Officer, you will stand down and be confined."

"Or what," the beast demands as he walks right up to the barrel of Jeffersons gun so it's pointing right at his chest.

"Or under the structures of condition red I am authorised to shoot you," he explains as he readies his weapon.

The beast just smiles at them. "But how many can you kill?" He asks, with a roar the symbols on Toby float off and enter the Ood who's eyes started to glow red. Toby fell to the ground as the Ood turned to look at them. "We are the legion of the beast."

The Doctor started panicking as he felt Roses fear spike. "Rose, what's going on," the Doctor tries to get through to her as he hears a voice over the comm link. "Rose, I'm going back up," he informs Ida as he moves back towards the capsule without letting her respond.

"Report," they hear Zac call over the comm link that seems to be running again. "Report. Jefferson report, someone report."

"The legion shall be many," the Ood continued as Rose felt the Doctor decide to come back, worry for her overriding everything else. "And the legion shall be few."

Rose raised the communicator. "It's the Ood," Rose explained for the Doctors benefit.

The Ood continued to talk in the back ground. "He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time. Some may call him abadon, some may call him Krop Tor, some may call him satan or lucifer or King of despair, the deathless prince, the bringer of night and these are the words that shall set him free," Rose and Jefferson moved backwards as the Ood moved towards them.

"Back up to the door," Jefferson orders. "Quickly."

"I am becoming manifest," the Ood continued. "I shall walk into the night."

"To the door," Jefferson yelled as he followed Rose to the door. "Get it open."

"We shall swarm across the worlds," the Ood finished.

As the Doctor was making his way back to the capsule leaving Ida behind, the ground started to shake. "Doctor, it's opening," Ida called out as she moved back from the metallic circle.

"We're moving," Zac explained to them as the whole planet moved closer to the black hole. "The whole things moving. The planets moving."

The Doctor was torn, he really wanted to get back to Rose but he couldn't leave Ida alone. Making a decision he hoped Rose could forgive him as he headed back to check on Ida. He made it back to her just as the trapdoor opened.

Rose had made it to the door as she felt Bad Wolf exerting her power.** "What are you doing?"**

**"How do you think the prison opened, Rose?"** Bad Wolf responded. **"I opened the prison so the Doctor can go down but I also have to stabilise the planet or it will fall."**

"I am the sin," the Ood continued as everyone tried to keep their footing. "And the temptation and the desire. I am the pain and the loss."

"Get that door open," Jefferson ordered as he kept his eye on the three Ood in front of them.

"The gravity field," they heard Zac continue. "It's going, we're losing a bit. We're about to fall into the black hole."

"I have been imprisoned for eternity," the Ood continued. "But no more. The pit is open and I am free," the beast cried through the Ood.


	17. Devils, storms and wolfs

Rose, Jefferson and the other soldier had been backed up against the door when Jefferson made a decision. "Open fire," Jefferson ordered as he raised his weapon to his shoulder and started firing at the Ood.

"We're stabilising," they hear Zac call out. Though Rose was surprised they could hear anything with the weapons going off. "We've got orbit."

The moment the Ood were down Rose ran back to the comm link. "Doctor," she called. "Doctor can you hear me?" As she tried to contact the Doctor through the comm link she also tried to reach him through their bond as well. "Doctor, Ida are you there?"

Rose turned around as she hears someone open the door they had been backed up too, to find Danny stumbling in. "It's me," he assured them. "But their coming," he explained as he locked the door behind him. "It's the Ood, they've gone mad."

"How many of them?" Jefferson enquires.

"All of them," Danny squeaks. "All 50."

Jefferson walks towards the door but Danny's in the way. "Out of the way," he ordered. "Out of the way," Jefferson orders louder as he physically pushed Danny out of the way.

"But their armed," Danny tries to warn him. "It's the interface, I don't know how but their using it as a weapon."

Jefferson finishes unlocking the door and opens it to see Ood standing there holding their interface balls. Rose lunges forward to grab the soldier as an Ood places their interface ball up to the soldiers forehead and she screams as they electrocute her.

Jefferson starts firing at the Ood as Danny moves behind the door and closes it again and seals the door.

"Jefferson what's happening there?" They hear Zac ask.

"I've got very little ammunition sir," Jefferson explained. "How about you?"

They heard Zac moving around. "All I've got is a bolt gun with ah, all of one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is," Zac exclaimed.

"Given the emergency, sir," Jefferson explained "I suggest strategy nine."

"Strategy nine agreed," Zac replied sombrely.

At that pronouncement Rose lowered her head, she wished she could save the Ood but knowing that they've been completely consumed by the beast in the pit. Rose suddenly remembers the Doctor and rushes back to the comms while trying to reach him through their bond.

"Right, we need to get everyone together," Zac suggested as Rose moves back to the comm link. "Rose what about Ida and the Doctor, any word?"

"I've been trying but nothing," Rose explained as she continued to reach out through their bond. She can feel his mind but it's like he's unconscious. "I've been trying but it's just..."

"No sorry, I'm fine," the Doctor interrupted as he sent reassurance to Rose through their bond. "Still here."

Rose closed her eyes in relief as she felt him caress her mind. "You should've said you stupid . . . .," lucky for Rose the intercom crackled but didn't stop her thoughts from reaching the Doctor.

The Doctor cringed back as her thoughts were blasted at him in her irritation. "Woe, careful," the Doctor cautioned as he sent her another wave of reassurance to calm her down. "Any way it's both of us, me and Ida, hello. But the seal opened up, it's gone, all we've got left is this chasm."

"How deep is it?" Zac enquires.

The Doctor grinned slightly as he felt Rose send an apology to him as he felt her calm down. He wrapped his mind around Roses to help her calm down and to assure himself that she's still there. "Can't tell," he answers Zac. "It looks like it goes down forever."

"The pit is open," Rose reminds the Doctor. "That's what the voice said."

"But there's nothing," Zac clarifies. "I mean there's nothing coming out?"

"No, no, no," the Doctor confirms. "No sign of the beast."

"It's not Satan though is it?" Rose can't help asking as she felt Bad Wolf roll her eyes. "There's no such thing."

Zac interrupted her. "Ida I suggest you withdraw immediately."

"But," Ida protested. "We've come all this way."

"Ok," Zac demands. "That's an order, withdraw. When that thing opened the whole planet shifted, one more inch and we'll be falling into the black hole so this thing stops right now."

Ida scoffed. "It's not much safer up there with the Ood."

"I'm initiating strategy nine," Zac informs her. "So I need the two of you back up top immediately," the Doctor can see Ida wanting to disobey, he himself can feel the telepathic presence urging him to go down as well but he has more experience fighting telepathic beings.

The Doctor raises his eyebrows as Ida switches the comm link off while Zac was talking, while turning to him. "What do you think?"

The Doctor walks back to the edge of the pit to look down as the telepathic presence increased. "He gave an order," he pointed out.

"Yeah but what do you think?" Ida repeats.

"It said I am the temptation," the Doctor reminded her, trying to discreetly point out the presence in the back of her head that's not her but an outside influence.

"Yeah," Ida agreed completely missing the hint. "Why is it still hiding?"

That's what the Doctors been thinking over since the pit opened. "Maybe, we opened the prison but not the cell."

"We should go down," Ida gives in to the voice. "I'd go. What about you?"

"Oh, in a second," the Doctor assured her. "But then again that is so human," the Doctor grinned at her as his mind thinks of Rose. "Where angels fear to tread. Even now standing on the edge, it's that feeling you get," the Doctor again hinted at that voice. "Right at the back of your head, that impulse, that strengthening impulse. That mad little voice saying go on, go on, go on. Go over, go on. Maybe it's relying on that," the Doctor thought aloud. "For once in my life, officer Scott. I'm going to say retreat," the Doctor pulled away with a frown. It was harder to move away than it should've been for him. "Now I know I'm getting old, Rose were coming back," the Doctor informed her as he felt relief and concern in equal measures through their bond.

"Best news I've heard all day," Rose agreed though she knows he'll never make it back up. She notices Jefferson readying his weapon. "What ya doing?"

"He was infected," Jefferson explained as he pointed his gun at Toby. "He brought that thing on board, you saw it."

Rose walked up to them, even knowing what she'll end up doing. It's easy when the beast shows himself than when Toby looks like Toby. "Are you gonna shoot your own people now, is that what your gonna do? Is it?"

"If necessary," Jefferson responded.

"Believe me it's harder to kill someone when they look like themselves," Rose explains to Jefferson. Considering she wanted to hurt him since they landed here. "So what's it gonna be?"

Jefferson finally relents and lowers his weapon. "Any sign of trouble, I shoot him."

Rose continues to stare at Toby for another minute debating with herself to get closer or not. "Sure you alright?"

"It was so angry," Toby explains. "Fury and rage, death," Toby suddenly turns to look at Rose. "It was him, it was the devil."

The Doctor and Ida make their way back to the capsule as the Doctors worry for Rose increases. He hates being separated from her like this, with so many things that can go wrong and usually do. "What's strategy nine?" The Doctor questions to get his mind of Rose.

"Open the airlocks," Ida explained. "We'll be safe inside the lock down, the Ood will get thrown out into the vacuum."

"So we're going back to a slaughter," the Doctor summed up.

Ida turned to face him as they reached the capsule. "The devils work," Ida agreed as they entered the capsule. "Ok, we're in," Ida informed them through the comm link. "Bring us up."

"Ascension in 3, 2, 1," Jefferson pushed a button and the capsule started to rise, suddenly the power cut out and the capsule stopped just of the ground.

"This is the darkness," the voice of the beast came over the speakers. "This is my domain," the Beast continued as a picture of the Ood showed up on all vid screens. "You little things that live in the light, clinging to your feeble Suns which die."

"That's not the Ood," Zac points out, overriding what the beast is saying. "Somethings talking through them."

"Only the darkness remains," the Beast continued.

"This is captain Zachary Cross-Flan," Zac responds to the beast. "Sanctuary base six, representing the Torchwood archives. You will identify yourself," he ordered.

"You know my name," the beast pointed out.

"What do you want?" Zac demands.

"You will die here," the beast pointed out. "All of you, this planet is your grave."

Rose, Jefferson and Danny look to Toby as he starts shaking. "It's him, it's him."

The Doctors had enough of listening to this beast. "If you are then answer me this, which one? Hmm, cause the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The archavits, gobonity, christianity, pash pash, new judaism, San kla, church of the tin vagabond. Which one are you?"

"All of them," the beast responds.

"What then your the truth behind the myth," the Doctor scoffed.

"This one knows me," the beast responds. "As I know him, the killer of his own kind."

The Doctor tries to stop his worry from reaching Rose as he responds. "How did you end up on this rock?"

"The disciples of the light," the beast spat. "Rose up against me and chained me in the pit for all eternity."

The Doctors mind worked over time trying to find out who the disciples of light might be. "When was this?"

"Before time," the beast informed him.

The Doctor scoffed. "What does that mean?"

"Before time," the beast repeated.

"What does before time mean," the Doctor repeated in frustration.

"Before time and light and space and matter," the beast continued to explain. "Before the cataclysm, before this universe was created."

"That's impossible," the Doctor argued. "No life could've existed back then."

"Is that your religion?" The beast enquired.

The Doctor was still trying to work out what the beast is so he answered automatically. "It's a belief."

"You know nothing," the Beast scoffed. "All of you so small, the captain so scared of command, the soldier haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist still running from daddy, the little boy who lied, the virgin and the lost girl so far away from home, the valiant wolf who's trying so hard to change time."

Roses confusion grew, he called her a valiant wolf not child and he didn't mention her dying, but she's not sure if it's a good thing or not.** "Doctor,"** Rose called through their bond.

The Doctor can feel Roses fear as his confusion grows, how can the beast sense Bad Wolf when he took it out of her and changing time.** "Rose don't listen to him," **he sends through their bond as he sends a wave of reassurance.

"You will die," the Beast continued. "And I will live."

Suddenly an image of the beast appears on the screen roaring. Everyone jumps back in shock as Danny exclaimed. "What the hell was that?"

"I had that thing in my head," Rose heard Toby exclaim in shock.

Everyone starts panicking and talking over each other while Rose tries to contain the panic threatening to take over. "Stop," the Doctor tries to command, but everyone's to busy panicking. Roses mind is suddenly flooded with the Doctors mind and she feels her panic attack start to recede.

The Doctor breathes a sigh of relief as he feels Rose calm down. Rose will always be his first priority, before trying to get everyone else's attention. "Everyone just stop!" Thinking fast the Doctor sends a screeching sound through the comm link to shut everyone up. "If you want to hear voices in the dark then listen to mine," the Doctor stated angrily. "That thing is playing on our very basic fears, darkness, childhood nightmares and all that stuff."

"But that's how the devil works," Danny panicked.

"Or a good psychologist," the Doctor countered.

"Yeah," Ida interrupted. "How did it know about my father?"

The Doctor stares at her for a few seconds till his mind could come up with an answer. "Ok, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine? Hm. Cause I'll tell you what I see, humans, brilliant humans. Humans that can travel all across space, flying in a tiny little rocket right into the orbit of a black hole just for the sake of discovery, that's amazing. Do you hear me, amazing, all of you. The captain, his officer, his airman, his juniors, his friends. All with one advantage the beast is alone, we are not. If we can use that to fight against him," the Doctor cuts of as the capsule rocks suddenly.

Rose, Danny and Jefferson look towards where a tearing sound was coming from to see the cable holding the capsule start to fray. It breaks and they watch helplessly as the cabled falls down the hole.

"The cables snapped," Ida cries as she realised what's happened.

"Get out," the Doctor grabs her and shoves her out the capsule door as he follows. They dive out of the way as the cable smashes in to the capsule rendering it useless.

Rose gets back onto the comm link calling for the Doctor while trying to contact him through their bond. "Doctor, we lost the cable. Doctor, you alright? Doctor?"

"Comms are down," Zac gently explains. "I've still got life signs but we've lost the capsule. There's no way out, their stuck down there."

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The Doctor and Ida pick themselves up and look back at the capsule to see it in pieces. The Doctors hearts sank at the realisation that he's been separated from Rose yet again. **"Rose," **he reached through their bond sending a wave of comfort as he spoke her name.

**"Doctor,"** he grinned slightly as he heard her response.

**"I'm sorry,"** the Doctor managed to send to her.

Rose smiled softly as she sent him a wave of affection.** "Don't worry, the TARDIS is down there somewhere all you have to do is find her."**

Rose continues to amaze him, after sticking her here and losing the TARDIS she still has faith that he'll figure a way out. "How much air have we got?" The Doctor asks Ida.

"60 minutes," Ida let's him know. "55," she changes as she double checks while trying to slow her breathing down.

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Rose felt relief once she felt the Doctor contact her through their bond. "There's no way to bring them up is there?" Rose questions Jefferson.

"Their 10 miles down," Jefferson agrees. "We haven't got another 10 miles of cable." They all turn as they hear a bang come from the doorway. "Captain," Jefferson calls on his comm link. "Situation report."

They wait quietly for a response. "It's the Ood, they're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in."

"Yeah, it's the same on door 25," Jefferson agreed.

"How longs it gonna take?" Rose questions.

"Well," Jefferson starts. "It's only a basic frame so it should take. 10 minutes," the Ood cut another door bolt. "8," Jefferson amends.

"I've got a security frame so I might last a bit longer but that doesn't help you," Zac informs them.

"Right so we need to stop them or get out or both," Rose sums up.

"I'll take both ya," Danny suggests sarcastically. "But how?"

Rose gave him the Doctors dribbled on ya shirt look. "You heard the Doctor why do you think that thing cut him off, cause he was making sense. He was telling you to think your way out of here. Come on," Rose yells at them. "Zac we need some lights there's gotta be some sort of power somewhere."

"There's nothing I can do," Zac replies frustrated. "Some captain, stuck in here pressing buttons."

"That's what the Doctor meant," Rose pointed out to him. "Press the right buttons."

"They've gutted the generator," Zac counters. "But the rockets got an independent supply. If I could rerouted that, Mr Jefferson open the bypass conduit. Override the safety."

Rose and Danny stand back as Jefferson follows Zac's order. "Opening bypass conduit sir," Jefferson confirms.

"Opening rocket feed in 3, 2, 1 power," they start celebrating as the lights come back on.

"Let there be light," Danny shouts.

Rose turns back to Jefferson. "What about that strategy nine thing?"

Jefferson shook his head. "Not enough power, it needs 100%."

"Right we need a way out," Rose gets them back on task. "Zac, Mr Jefferson you start working on that," Rose orders. She completely ignores Toby as she knows he can't contribute anything anyway and moves over to Danny. "What about you Danny boy, you know the Ood. Anyway of stopping them?"

"Well," Danny thought out loud. "I don't know."

Rose pulls him back to a computer terminal. "Then find out," she urges. "Sooner we get control of the base. The sooner we can get the Doctor out, now get going."

While everyone worked on their tasks Rose moved back to look down the hole. She sent a wave of love through her bond with the Doctor as well as informing him of what their up to.

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Down in the cave the Doctor felt Roses love sent to him along with her taking charge and getting them thinking about how she kept calm and calmed everyone else down as well.

"We've got all this cable," Ida pointed out, breaking the Doctor out of his thoughts. "We might as well use it. The drums disconnected, we could adapt it, feed it through."

"And then what?" The Doctor questions.

"Abseil," Ida states like it's obvious. "Into the pit."

The Doctor watches her for a few seconds. "Abseil, right."

"We're running out of air," Ida pointed out. "With no way back, it's the only thing we can do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve."

The Doctor stares at her determinedly. "I'll get back, Rose is up there."

"Well maybe the key to that is finding out what's in the pit," Ida pointed out.

"Well it's half a good plan," the Doctor agreed.

Ida watches him confusedly. "What's the other half?"

"I go down," the Doctor explains. "Not you," with his superior biology he has more of a chance at surviving what's down there.

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While the Doctor and Ida get ready to send the Doctor into the pit Rose, Zac, Jefferson and Danny are trying to find a way to stop the Ood.

"Junctions 5, 6, 7 reroute filters 16-25," Jefferson instructs Zac.

"There's all sorts of viruses that can stop the Ood," Danny informed Rose. "Trouble is we haven't got them on board."

"Well that's handy," Rose states sarcastically. "There's a lot of things we haven't got, we haven't got a swimming pool either or a Tesco's."

The computer starts beeping. "Oh my god," Danny exclaimed as he read what the computer was telling them. "It says yes. I can do it, hypothetically. If you flip the monitor and broadcast a flare, it can disrupt the telepathy, brainstorm."

"And what, it shorts out the Ood?" Rose questions.

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "It'll tank them. Spark out."

"There we are then, do it," Rose agreed as a bolt of guilt ran through her knowing that the Ood are beyond saving but feeling guilty anyway.

Danny's smile suddenly falls. "No but, I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood habitation."

"That's what we'll do then," Rose agreed as she moved over to Jefferson. "Mr Jefferson, sir. Anyway out?"

"Just about," Jefferson pointed out. "There's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base, we should be able to gain access from here."

Rose grins at him. "Ventilation shafts."

"Yeah I appreciate the reference," Jefferson explained. "But there's no ventilation, no air. In fact at all, they were designed for machines not life forms."

"But I can manipulate the oxygen field from here," Zac pipes up. "Create discreet pockets of atmosphere. If I control it manually, I can follow you through the network."

"Right," Rose summed up. "We go down and you make the air follow us? By hand?"

"You wanted me pressing buttons," Zac pointed out.

Rose nodded her head even though Zac can't see her. "Yep I asked for it. Ok, we need to get to Ood habitation, work out a route."

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The Doctor and Ida finally managed to sort out the cable and set it up so he could abseil down. "That should hold it," Ida confirmed. "How's it going?"

The Doctor pulled on the reel a few times to make sure it was running smoothly. "Fine, it works. Doesn't feel like such a good idea now," the Doctor muttered as he moved to the edge of the pit. "Huh, there it is again," the Doctor pointed out as he felt that mind again urging him on. "That itch, go down, go down, go down."

"The urge to jump," Ida agreed. "Do you know where it comes from? That sensation, genetic heritage. Ever since we were prime apes in the trees. It's our body's way of testing us. Calculating wether or not we can reach the next branch."

"No," the Doctor disagreed. "That's not it. That's too kind, it's not the urge to jump it's deeper than that, it's the urge to fall," the Doctor finished as he jumped of the edge and fell into the pit.

"Doctor," he heard Ida call as he fell through the hole. The cable stopped suddenly and the Doctor landed on the edge of the pit.

"You ok," Ida questioned.

"Not bad thanks," the Doctor answered as he looked down. "Wall of the pit seems to be the same as the cavern just not much of it. There's a crust about 20 feet down and then nothing just the pit," the Doctor described. "Ok then, lower me down," he instructs Ida.

"Here we go then," Ida agrees as she starts the wrench again and the Doctor is lowered past the crust and into the darkness beyond.

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"Danny come on," Rose calls as she and Jefferson open up a panel in the floor to reach the shafts underneath.

"Hold on," Danny calls back as he loads the information they need to spark out the Ood onto a disc and ejects it from the computer.

"Danny we gotta go, now," Jefferson orders. "Come on."

Rose looks around and notices the flash grenades on the belt of the dead soldier. Apologising quietly, she grabs them from the soldiers belt and rushes back to the opening in the floor.

"Yeah," Danny holds up the disc as he reaches them. "Place this in the monitor and it's a bad time to be an Ood."

Jefferson nodded. "Ok, Danny you go first," Jefferson directed. "Then you Miss Tyler, then Toby and I'll go last as a defensive position. Now come quick as you can," Jefferson ordered.

Rose followed Danny down into the tunnels but she felt uncomfortable having to turn her back on Toby. "Oh, that stinks," Rose can't help but comment. "You alright?" She asks Danny.

"Yeah lovely," Danny snarks back as Toby drops down behind them. "Which way do we go?" Danny asks Zac.

"Just go straight ahead," Zac directs them. "Keep going until I say so."

The Ood finally make it through the door just as Jefferson jumps through the panel and closes it behind him. They all start crawling through the shafts following Zac's directions.

"Not your best angle Danny," Rose jokes to try and lighten the mood.

"Oi," Danny protested. "Stop it."

"I don't know, could be worse," Toby snarks back.

"Oi," Rose protests as she continues to follow Danny.

"Straight on until you find junction 7.1," Zac interrupts. "Keep breathing, I'm feeding you air. I got you."

They make it to junction 7.1 and the thin airs making breathing hard while they wait for Zac to open up the door. "Where at 7.1 sir," Danny informs him.

"Ok," Zac confirms. "I've got you, just aerating the next section."

"It's kind of cramped sir," Danny complained. "Can't you hurry up?"

Rose could see how uncomfortable Danny was with tight spaces as Zac replied. "I'm working on half power here."

"Stop complaining," Jefferson ordered. Rose watched them both with concern. Her breathing was fine thanks to Bad Wolf and she knew why Toby wasn't short of breath but the other two seemed to be struggling.

"Mr Jefferson said stop complaining," Rose informed Danny.

"I heard," Danny assured her.

"He heard," Rose relayed back to Jefferson.

Toby then got on his comm link. "The airs getting a bit thin."

"He's complaining now," Rose pointed out.

"I heard," Jefferson informed her.

Rose suddenly smells something coming from Danny's direction. "Danny is that you?"

"I'm not exactly happy," Danny insisted.

"I'm just moving the air," Zac interrupted. "I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now keep calm or it's going to feel worse."

They hear what appears to be a panel being removed and Ood entering the tunnels behind them. "What was that?" Toby questioned.

"Jefferson was that a panel being removed?" Rose points out.

"What's that noise?" Toby questions again.

Jefferson gets on his comm link. "Captain what was that?"

"The Junction in habitat 5s been opened," Zac informs them. "It must be the Ood, their in the tunnels."

Danny starts panicking. "Well open the gate."

"I've gotta get the air in," Zac warned them.

"Just open it," Danny demanded.

Rose interrupted before Danny could continue panicking. "Where are they, are they close?"

"I don't know," Zac informed her. "I can't tell, I can't see them. The computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Who's idea was that?"

"Open the gate?" Danny demands louder.

The gate suddenly opens and they all scramble through and follow Zac's directions. "Danny turn left, immediate left."

"The Ood sir," Jefferson enquires. "Can't you trap them, cut off the air?"

"Not without cutting off yours," Zac answered. "Danny turn right. Go fast Danny or their gonna catch up."

Jefferson calls to the others. "I'll take a defensive position."

Rose pushes her way past Toby and makes it to Jefferson. "Here these will help," Rose passed him the flash grenades.

Jefferson looked at her in shock. "Where did you get those from?"

"Does it matter," Rose insisted. "You said they'd incapacitate them."

Rose followed the others as Jefferson set up a few of the grenades then followed. They all made it to the last junction just as the first grenade went off.

"8.2," Danny started panicking again. "Open 8.2. Zac open 8.2."

"I've got to aerate it," Zac reminded them.

"Open it now!" Danny yelled, his panic getting the best of him.

"I'm trying," Zac replies through gritted teeth.

Danny starts hitting the gate. "Danny stop it," Rose grabs him and tries to calm him down. "That's not helping."

Now Toby gets on his comm link. "Zac get it open."

Just as the last Granada went off and some Ood made it past that junction 8.2 opened while 8.1 closed trapping the Ood. Rose breathed a sigh of relief, at least she managed to save someone.

"Danny turn left and head for 9.2 that's the last one," Zac informed them. They made it to 9.2 as Zac informed them that he had killed the Ood trapped in the tunnel.

"Zac we're at the final junction 9.2," Danny informed him.

"Opening 9.2," Zac told them as the gate started to open, to find Ood on the other side.

"Close 9.2," Rose yelled as all four of them scrambled away.

"Back, back, back," Danny ordered.

"We can't go back," Toby reminded him. "We're stuck."

While the others were complaining Rose looked up and found a panel above her. "Come on let's go up," she ordered them as she pushed open the panel and crawled up to find themselves outside the door to Ood habitation. Danny followed her up with Jefferson following. Rose saw Toby do something which stopped the Ood.

"Help me," Toby cries as he finally looks up. "Oh my god, help me."

Rose and Danny help him up while Jefferson takes a protective stance as the door down the corridor opens to admit more Ood.

"It's this way," Danny shows them as they take off to Ood habitation.

"Hurry up," Zac ordered and Rose could tell from his voice that they were close to getting through his door as well.

They finally make it to Ood habitation to find a few Ood still there. Danny checks his pockets for the disc as Jefferson fires on the Ood till he runs out of bullets.

"Stop them," Toby orders as Danny finally finds the disc.

"Danny get that thing transmitting," Rose ordered as Danny inserts the disc into the monitor and pushed a button.

The monitor started beeping and the monitor showed the telepathic level for the Ood from basic 100 to 0 in seconds. The Ood grabbed their heads in pain before collapsing.

"You did it," Rose exclaimed. "We did it." Rose pulled Danny into a hug then Mr Jefferson even though she could tell he's not a hugger.

While the others celebrated Rose grabbed the comm link. "Zac we did it, the Ood are down." They head back to the hole where the capsule went down to try and figure out how to get the Doctor and Ida out.

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The Doctors worry for Rose was growing especially since she closed herself of from him. She only does that when somethings happening that she doesn't want him to know about.

"You get representations of the horned beast right across the universe," the Doctor explained to Ida as he tried to get his mind off what was happening to Rose. "Myths and legends of him on millions of worlds. Earth, Vicuna, Val Consadine, Damose, the same image over and over again maybe that idea came from somewhere, bleeding through the thought in every sentient mind."

"Emanating from here?" Ida questions.

"Could be," the Doctor agreed.

"But if this is the original does that make it real?" Ida continues to question. "Does that make it the actual devil?"

The Doctor shrugged even though he's dangling above a deep, dark pit and Ida can't see him. "Weelll if that's what you want to believe. Maybe that's what the devil is in the end, an idea."

The cable stops suddenly. "That's it," Ida informs him. "That's all we've got. You getting any sort of read out?"

The Doctor checks his wrist monitor. "Nothing, could be miles to go yet, or could be thirty feet, no way of telling. I could survive thirty feet."

"Oh no you don't," Ida argued as she heard his last comment. "I'm pulling you back up," as she proceeds to start up the reel again. The Doctor pushes a control switch on his belt and stops the reel again. "What are you doing?" Ida demands.

"You bring me back up and where just gonna sit there and run outta air," the Doctor gently explained. "I've gotta go down."

"But you can't," Ida argued. "Doctor you can't."

"Call it an act of faith," the Doctor suggested trying to explain why he needs to go down as he starts unbuckling himself.

Ida continues to disagree. "But I don't wanna die on my own.

"I know," the Doctor agreed quietly. I didn't ask," the Doctor realised," have you got any sort of faith."

"No, not really," Ida replied. "I was brought up Neo-classic congregational cause of my mum she was my own mum," Ida finished as memories assaulted her. "But no I never believed."

The Doctor empathised with her. "Neo-classics, have they got a devil?"

"No, not as such," Ida informed him. "Just, um, the things that men do."

"Same thing in the end," the Doctor mutters.

"What about you?" Ida asks.

The Doctor thinks about the question for a second. "I believe, I believe I haven't seen everything, I don't know. It's funny isn't it the things you make up, the rules. If that thing said it came from beyond the universe I would believe it but before the universe, impossible. Doesn't fit in my rules still that's why I keep travelling to be proved wrong," he got down to the last clip. "Thank you Ida," the Doctor apologised.

"Don't go," Ida begged.

"If they get back in touch," the Doctor started. "If you talk to Rose just tell her, tell her I," the Doctor can't bear her hearing it from someone else. "Oh she knows," the Doctor concentrates on their bond that feels so far away and sends all the love he's held back, to her, hoping she'll receive it as he lets go of the last clip and falls into the pit.

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Rose made it to the monitor and started trying to contact the Doctor. "Doctor are you there? Doctor, Ida can you hear me?"

"The Comms are still down," Zac explains. "I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal just give me a minute."

Rose could feel the Doctor get further and further away and knew what he was planning on doing. Once Zac had finished she got back onto the Comms. "Doctor are you there?" Rose calls again. "Doctor, Ida can you hear me?" Tears start streaming down her face as she feels his last message before their bond goes quiet. "Are you there Doctor?"

"He's gone," Ida explains quietly. "He fell into the pit and we don't know how deep it is it could be miles, and miles and miles.

"He fell," Rose repeated, she registered faintly that her mind had gone into shock.

"I couldn't stop him," Ida tried to explain. "He said your name."

Zac gently takes the comm link from Roses limp hand. "I'm sorry," he commiserated.

Roses mind cuts out everything that Zac and Ida are talking about as it tries and reaches the Doctors mind. Her mind holds tight to the last message the Doctor sent afraid to loss that feeling. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could feel the TARDIS and Bad Wolf trying to comfort her.

Her mind felt sluggish, she faintly registered that Zac was trying to talk to her before talking to someone over her shoulder. It wasn't until Danny and Jefferson grabbed her arms that she broke out if it's shock and she was struggling before she realised what was going on. Zac pulled out an injection and placed it in her arm, a few seconds later and her world went black.

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The Doctor woke to find himself face down on some rock. He jumped to his feet when he realised his face mask was broken. It took him two more seconds to realise that there was breathable air. "I'm breathing," he commented as he took of his helmet. "Air cushion to support the fall," he reasoned out. "You can breathe down here Ida," the Doctor called into his comm link though not hopeful that she'll receive him.

Concentrating very hard he tried to reach through his bond with Rose but she seemed very far away and may not even be awake. "Can you hear me Ida?"

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Rose woke up just as the rocket took off, tears tracked down her face as she realised that she's getting further away from the Doctor.

The Doctor looked up as he heard the sounds of a rocket taking off. "The rocket," he muttered. He clamped down on the panic that was building as he felt Rose getting further away he decided to distract himself by looking around at where he landed. Noticing what looks like cave drawings on the wall he moves in for a closer look. "History of some big battle," the Doctor muttered. "Man against beast, I don't know if your getting this Ida," the Doctor comments off handedly. "I hope so. Anyway they defeated the beast and in-prisoned it."

The Doctor looks around again and notices a jar sitting on a pedestal. He looks back at the drawing he had been looking at and sees near the bottom, a drawing of two jars. Looking back at the real jar again he sees the second one further behind it. "Maybe that's the key," the Doctor states as he moves towards the closest one.

He touches the jar and it starts to glow, the other one lights up a second later. "Or the gate or the bars," the Doctor thought aloud as he moved till he was standing between the jars.

It was then that he heard the heavy breathing and turned to face the opposite wall only to come face to face with the beast. But this beast wasn't small, no he was huge. He stumbles backwards as the beast roars at him before he realises that the beast is chained.

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Rose startled as Toby started laughing, she turned and gave him a suspicious look. "What's the joke?" Danny questioned while Jefferson, noticing Roses suspicious look watches Toby closely.

"Just," Toby gets out between laughter. "We made it. We escaped. We actually did it."

"Not all of us," Rose pointed out.

Zac rolled his eyes. "We're not out of it yet. Still, the first people in history to fly away from a black hole. Toby," Zac orders. "Read me the stats."

"Gravity funnel holding," Toby calls back with a smile in his voice. "Oh, it's holding."

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The Doctor stared at the beast in wonder. "I accept that you exist," the Doctor thought aloud. "I don't have to accept what you are but your physical existence, I give you that."

The beast just continues to stare at him unnervingly.

"But I don't understand," the Doctor questions as he again moves towards the beast. "I was expected down here. I was given a safe landing and air. You need me for something, what for?"

The beast tried to throw himself at the Doctor but was brought up short by the chains holding him. The Doctor stumbled back slightly in surprise.

"Have I gotta, I don't know, beg an audience or is there a ritual," the Doctor asked as he ran threw different scenarios pertaining to beasts in his head. "Incantation or summoning or spell or anything, are they real?"

The beast continued to move restlessly.

The Doctor lost his patience. "Speak to me," he yelled. "Tell me," something just occurred to the Doctor. "Won't talk or you can't talk."

The beast started moving more restlessly as his chains made a noise.

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor insisted as his mind started coming up with impossible scenarios. "Wait a minute, just let me, oh, no, yes, no," he thought aloud as he ran through different scenarios. "Let's think it through, you spoke before, I heard your voice. An intelligent voice, no brilliant, but looking at you now all I can see is, beast," the Doctor realised. "The animal, just the body. Your just the body, the physical form. What's happened to your mind, hmmm? Where's it gone? Where's that intelligence?" That's when the Doctors mind jumped back to the rocket. "Oh, no."

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"Stats at 53. Funnel stable at 66.5. Hull pressure constant," Toby kept calling out reports while Rose kept a close eye on him while hugging the bolt gun to herself. "Smooth as we can, sir. All the way back home, coordinates set for planet Earth."

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"Your imprisoned a long time ago," the Doctor read aloud as he deciphered the drawings on the wall. "Before the universe, after, sideways, in-between, it doesn't matter," he dismissed. "The prison is perfect. It's absolute, it's, it's eternal. Oh, yes! Open the prison, the gravity field collapses. This planet falls into the black hole," the Doctors excited that he finally figured it out. "You escape, you die. Brilliant. But that's just the body. The body is trapped, that's all. The devil is an idea. In all those civilisations, just an idea."

The beast seemed to be waiting for something.

"But an idea is hard to kill," the Doctor continued to ramble until he came up with an idea. "An idea can escape. The mind, the mind of the great beast, the mind can escape. Oh, but that's it!" The Doctor exclaimed. "You didn't give me air, your jailers did! They set this all up years ago. They need me alive. Because if your escaping, then I've got to stop you!"

The beast roared suddenly, angry that the Doctor worked it out.

The Doctor grabbed a rock and went to smash one of the vases before stopping suddenly as something occurred to him. "If I destroy your prison, your body is destroyed, your mind with it. But then your clever enough to use this whole system against me. If I destroy this planet, I destroy the gravity field, the rocket. The rocket losses protection, falls into the black hole. I'll have to sacrifice Rose."

The beast throws his head back and laughs at him.

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Rose knows that they lose the gravity field before they can escape.

Playing off Roses mistrust of Toby, Jefferson asks. "Why did we escape? It could've killed us a thousand different ways, yet we escaped?"

"Maybe it wanted us to escape," Rose pointed out as she turned and tried to hint to Jefferson with her eyes.

"Hey Rose, do us a favour," Toby suggests. "Shut up."

Rose glares at him as she holds the bolt gun more firmly and sits back.

"Almost there," Toby informs everyone. "We're beyond the reach of the black hole in 40, 39 . . ."

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"So that's the trap," the Doctor continued. "Or the test or the final judgement, I don't know. But if I kill you, I kill her."

The beast laughs, confident that he's won.

The Doctor comes to a decision, he knows what Rose would want him to do. "Except that implies, in this big grand scheme of gods and Devils, that she's just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods, and out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in her," the Doctor picked up the same rock as before and smashed both vases.

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The rocket started shaking violently. "What happened? What was that?" Danny questioned.

"What's he doing?" Toby questioned.

"We've lost the funnel," Zac exclaimed. "Gravity collapsed! We can't escape. We're heading straight for the black hole."

The rocket starts turning around and tumbles towards the black hole.

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"This is your freedom," the Doctor yelled. "Free to die! Your going in to that black hole and I'm riding with you!"

The beast starts spewing fire out of his mouth as he roars in anger.

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"The planets moving," Jefferson pointed out. "It's falling."

Rose looked over to see Toby covered with that strange writing, with red eyes. "I'm the rage and the bile and the ferocity!" Toby exclaimed in a deep voice.

"Its Toby," Rose exclaimed causing everyone to look at them in shock.

"I am the prince and the fool and the agony!" The beast continued. "I'm the sin and the fear and the darkness!"

"It's him," Danny cried fearfully.

"Stay where you are," Zac ordered them. "The ships not stable. What is he? What the hell is he?"

Toby starts spewing fire just like the beast in the pit.

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The Doctor stumbles back as the beast continues to rage. The planet continues to shake causing the Doctor to stumble backwards even more.

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"I shall never die," the beast exclaimed. "The thought of me is forever. In the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity and obsession and lust! Nothing shall ever destroy me. Nothing."

Rose points the gun at the front window. "Go to hell," she demanded as she shot out the front window as Jefferson reached over and released Toby's belt causing him to fall towards the black hole.

"Emergency shield!" Zac cried as everyone held on. A shield raised over the front window as the cabin once again filled with oxygen. "We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole."

"But we stopped him," Rose countered knowing only she would be the only one to understand the significance of that statement. "That's what the Doctor would've done."

"Some victory," Zac countered proving Rose right. "We're going in."

The Doctor continued to stumble backwards while trying to keep on his feet as the beast appeared to be burning from the inside out. He stumbled back even further as the pit started to crumble around him.

"The planets lost orbit," Danny cried fearfully. "It's falling."

Rose closed her eyes and prayed to every deity she heard of that the Doctor makes it out in time.

The Doctor fled down a tunnel, stumbling as the planet started to break up around him. He finally lost his balance and fell down only to have his fall broken by something hard.

Looking up, he started laughing as he realised he had fallen against the TARDIS.

"The planets gone," Danny unhelpfully informed them. "I'm sorry," Danny mentioned to Rose. But Rose started smiling as she felt the Doctor coming closer, it means he's found the TARDIS.

"Accelerate," Zac called, figuring they might as well get it over with as the rocket picks up speed. "I did my best. But, hey, the first human beings to fall inside a black hole. How about that? History."

They stopped falling suddenly as the rocket stopped shaking. The rocket is then turned around and starts flying away from the black hole. "We're turning," Zac points out the obvious," we're turning around. We're turning away!"

The radio suddenly crackles. "Sorry about the hijack, captain," the Doctor informs them. Rose let's out a huge sigh when she hears his voice. "This is the good ship, TARDIS. Now, first things first, have you got a Rose Tyler on board?"

"I'm here!" Rose calls out in relief. "Oh my god!"

"I'm just towing you home," the Doctor informed them. "Gravity-schmavity. My people practically invented black holes. Well in fact, they did," the Doctor hit a couple of buttons. "Couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. "Oh and captain, can we do a swap? Say, if you give me Rose Tyler, I'll give you Ida Scott. How about that?"

"She's alive!" Zac exclaimed.

"Yes, thank you God," Danny exclaimed at the same time.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be alright. I couldn't save the Ood. I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet."

Rose tried to send him comforting thoughts as she felt his guilt. The TARDIS beeps at the Doctor. "Entering clear space. End of the line. Mission closed."

The Doctor releases the rocket then materialises in the storage hold. He moves Ida to the storage area as she starts waking up then he moves back to the console to wait for Rose to come through the doors. The moment he sees Rose enter, they grin at each other before they throw themselves at each other in a desperate hug.

Rose helped the Doctor out of the horrid orange space suit as he got back on the comm. "Zac, we'll be of now. Have a good trip home, and the next time you get curious about something. Oh, what's the point?" The Doctor breaks himself off. "You'll just go blundering in. The human race!"

"But Doctor," Ida asks curiously. "What did you find down there? That creature, what was it?"

"I don't know," the Doctor dismissed. "Never did decipher that writing. But that's good," the Doctor insisted. "The day I know everything, I might as well stop. Right! Onwards, upwards," the Doctor cried, trying to get everyone's mind of the beast. "Ida, see you again, maybe."

"I hope so," Ida replies.

"And thanks boys," Rose called out.

"Hang on though, Doctor," Ida called out. "You never really said. You two, who are you?"

The Doctor grinned at Rose. "Ohhh, the stuff of legend," as the Doctor pulled the lever that sent the TARDIS into the time vortex.


	18. Interlude 8

After Rose explained to the Doctor what happened when they were separated and the Doctor took Rose through what happened with him including a brief description of the beast Rose went to take a shower and change while the Doctor sat staring at the fire.

He thought over everything that's he's learnt about Rose since he met her. His time senses had been dulled since the time war yet the moment he grabbed her hand it flared to life. He can't get more than a glimpse of her time lines. He's had a feeling like he knows her since he first met her.

She seems to know more than the average companion he's ever had and the TARDIS seems awfully fond of her, more so than any other companion. He's always tried not to cross a line with any off his companion yet from the moment he met Rose he's had an urge to get closer that he's never had with any other being.

Being a normal human, Rose should've burned up as soon as she absorbed the time vortex, yet she managed to hold it through returning in the TARDIS, destroying the Dalek fleet and the empire of the Daleks and bringing Jack back to life.

She accepted his regeneration straight away, he may have told her about regeneration but it's different to actually experiencing it yet she didn't have a problem. She was fine after having Cassandra in her head and the werewolf seemed to hesitate around her. He's noticed that she picks up Gallifreyan a lot faster than a normal human should and she's understanding his techno babble.

She heals a lot faster, most of the time he hardly sees a scratch on her and the beast called her the valiant wolf who's messing with time. That's what worries him the most, is Bad Wolf messing with time or is Rose and if it is Rose then how is she doing it. The last few hours he's tried to watch not just her time line but those around her and he can't see any big difference though he can sense. That something big is coming.

Rose walks in then and breaks him out of his thoughts. "Are you alright, Doctor?"

He smiles softly at her. "Off course, I'm just thinking of something."

"Your not thinking about what the beast said, are you?" Rose questioned. "Because it lied, your not a killer. You did what you had to do to save the universe," Rose insisted as she snuggled up next to him.

The Doctor put his arm around her and pulled her closer as he kissed her temple. "Thanks to you I can believe it, but I am worried," he admitted as he watched Rose closely. "I can feel something big coming," if he hadn't been watching her closely he would've missed the slight pause he saw her take before she turned her head to met his eyes.

"How do you know?" Rose questioned

"I can see time lines, welllll most time lines," the Doctor amended. "I can see something approaching, I'm not sure cause it's awhile yet but it's getting closer."

Rose sucked her lip as she thought. "I've been feeling that way as well, just a bad feeling I've been getting," Rose hinted.

The Doctor wanted to ask her all the questions that he had stored up but knew he might just push her away, that and the TARDIS is warning him to be careful. Swallowing the question he most wanted to ask he put on his manic grin as decided to take her to all the places he's wanted to take her and if he held her a little closer than normal or held her hand more tightly it was the only sign that he was worried.


	19. Fans can be manipulated

While the Doctor was busy in the shower singing his hearts out, which the TARDIS loves to broadcast through out the ship. Rose walked up to the TARDIS console and placed her hand on the rotor which moved softly in acknowledgement.

"Hey old girl," Rose greeted. Rose felt the TARDIS greet her back.

"Could you do me a favour?" Rose requested. "I would really like to save Elton and Ursula before she becomes a face in a concrete slab. Without the Doctor knowing?"

The TARDIS sent her pink and yellow sister confirmation before setting to work.

Rose felt the TARDIS acknowledge her request and grinning turned back towards the corridor to find the Doctor standing in the way. She gasped as she placed her hand on her chest, wondering just how much he had heard.

"Did you ask the TARDIS for something?" He enquired as he moved closer to her.

Rose thought fast, she couldn't tell him the truth, but he'd see through a lie. "Last time I talked to mum, she told me about a guy she'd met called Elton. I just wanted the TARDIS to look him up and see who he is."

The TARDIS beeped to show her something. Rose grinned when she read the information. "Thanks old girl," Rose thanks before turning back to the Doctor. "He's part of a group you might recognise. LINDA."

The Doctor winced slightly which caused Rose to grin at him. "Ah yes, London Investigative 'n' Detective Agency."

"So you've heard of them?" Roses grin widened at his scowl.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "Claim their my biggest fans."

Rose lost her smile. "Do you think he's only after mum, cause of us?"

"Maybe," the Doctor thought. "But they've never really been active in looking for me. Just talk about their experiences with meeting me."

Roses grin returned. "Really," Rose smirked. "And you never thought to visit them after all you'd make their day, or year or life really?"

The Doctor started pulling at his ear as he moved around the console to escape Roses smile. "Why would I wish to see them, it's bad enough they follow my every move."

Rose grinned quietly to herself, the Doctor was so easy to distract if you knew him well. "I'd like to met them." Rose suggests.

The Doctor ignored her as he started typing in co-ordinates. "Tell ya what. Let's go to Xenamoric," the Doctor suggested with an eyebrow wiggle at Rose.

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It was about a week later after the Doctor had them thrown in jail three times. Chased by tall thin stick like men that thought they were weeds that needed to be destroyed, that the TARDIS nudged Roses mind to let her know that she's found the right time to interrupt the time line to save LINDA.

The Doctor looked up as the TARDIS made a dinging noise. "Sounds like the TARDIS has found out about something that's happening and people that need our help." Rose had been relaxing with her head in the Doctors lap when the TARDIS alerted her.

Jumping up, she rushed over to the monitor before the Doctor reached it. She tried to read the writing but it was moving to fast. The Doctor walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips before peering over her shoulder. "Do you know what it says?" He prompted.

Rose concentrated as she tried to make out what it was saying. The TARDIS helped by slowing the swirls down for her to read, Rose sent a feeling of gratitude to the TARDIS as a few words stood out to her. "This says alien," Rose pointed out as she indicated one word.

He grinned happily back at her. "Yep," he popped.

Rose continued watching as something else jumped out at her. She pointed to the design as she turned to the Doctor. "Does this mean LINDA?"

The Doctor nodded at her as he grinned before realising something. "Hang on," the Doctor put his glasses on as he leaned closer to read what the TARDIS found. "This says that she's found LINDA but they have an alien in disguise with them."

Rose started biting her lip as she watched the Doctor. The Doctor looked over at her to see her puppy dog eyes looking back. He looked away quickly as he moved around pressing random buttons and avoiding looking at her again.

It took him precisely 3.56 minutes to cave in to her, sighing he turned and finally glanced at her. "Fine let's go and talk to them."

Grinning, Rose threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Rushing to the console they found that the TARDIS has already inputted the coordinates for them so Rose helped the Doctor pilot the TARDIS to the date set.

Peaking out the doors, Rose finds that they've landed right next to the warehouse. The Doctor followed Rose out while shaking his head. "Honestly anyone would think that you don't trust my driving."

"Compared to what?" Rose enquired. "Landing in the middle of a war, coming face to face with rifles or coming home 12 months late."

"Fine, fine," the Doctor pouted.

Rose hooked her arm through his as she lead him into the warehouse to find the entire LINDA crew and the alien starring at them. "Hello, I'm Rose and this is the Doctor."

The Doctor waved at them while moving towards the only person that looked different in the room assuming that he must be the alien.

Rose looks the alien up and down. "He doesn't look like much of an alien," she scoffs.

The alien changes suddenly from an old fat man into a green, fat alien with a black mohawk. The alien points his sceptre at Elton, who was the closest to him suddenly. "At last, the greatest feast of them all, the Doctor."

The Doctor rocks back on his heels with his hands in his pockets. "Interesting. A sort of absorbatrix . . . Absorbaklon . . . Abzorbaloff . . ."

"Abzorbaloff, yes!" The alien agreed happily.

"Is it me or is he a bit Slitheen?" Rose questions with a grin, knowing the Abzorbaloff doesn't like being compared to them.

The Doctor watches him questioningly. "Not from Rexicoricophalvitorius are you?"

"No, I'm not that swine!" The Abzorbaloff spat out. "I spit on them! I was born on their twin planet."

The Doctor looked quietly shocked. "Really? What's the twin planet of Rexicoricophalvitorius?"

"Clom," the Abzorbaloff states proudly.

"Clom," the Doctor deadpanned.

"Colm, yes," the Abzorbaloff agreed frustrated. "I'll return there victorious, once I posses your traveling machine."

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he noticed Rose sit on one of the desks and look through some of the information they found on him. "Well, that's never gonna happen," the Doctor informed him.

"Oh, it will," the Abzorbaloff disagreed. "You'll surrender yourself to me, Doctor, or this one dies," the Abzorbaloff indicates Elton. "You see, I've read about you Doctor. I've studied you. So passionate. So sweet. You wouldn't let an innocent man die. And I'll absorb him unless you give yourself to me."

Rose tried to hide her grin as she caught the Doctors eye. The Doctor scratched the back of his neck as he thought. "Sweet, maybe. Passionate, I suppose," he agreed as he sneaks a glance at Rose. "But don't ever mistake that for nice. Do what you want," the Doctor shrugged as he went to turn back for the door.

"He'll die," the Abzorbaloff insisted.

The Doctor turned back to face him. "Go on, then."

Rose grabbed Ursula's arm as she moved to try and help Elton. "Trust the Doctor," Rose whispered to her as she held eye contact. Rose relaxed when Ursula discreetly nodded her head and stepped back.

"So be it," the Abzorbaloff continued.

Ursula noticed the tip of the Abzorbaloff's cane shining and yelled out. "Elton the cane, break it." Elton grabbed the cane from the Abzorbaloff and broke it over his knee.

"My cane! You stupid man!" The Abzorbaloff cried as the end of his cane opened up to show a glowing crystal. The Abzorbaloff dissolved suddenly into a puddle off water to be soaked through the boards into the ground beneath.

Elton turned to the Doctor. "What did I do?"

"The cane created a limitation field," the Doctor explained. "Now it's broken, he can't stop. The absorber is being absorbed."

"By what?" Elton questioned.

"By the Earth," was the Doctors simple answer. He took a closer look at Elton then. "I do know you, don't I," the Doctor questioned before it came to him. "You don't remember do you? There was a shadow in your house. A living shadow in the darkness. An elemental shade that had escaped from the howling halls. I stopped it, but I wasn't in time to save her. I'm sorry."

Then he saw recognition in Elton's eyes as he remembered. "That was the night my mother died."

Rose watched as Ursula and the rest of LINDA gathered around Elton to comfort him. Rose grabbed the Doctors hand and gave it a squeeze, knowing that he takes the death of anyone he can't save on himself.

While the rest of LINDA was occupied, the Doctor and Rose slowly walked away, back to the TARDIS.

️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️

Rose finally convinced the Doctor to visit her mother though she knows that he secretly likes her.

The moment the TARDIS finally materialised her mother came bursting through the door and ignoring the Doctor completely which he pouted at she walked straight to Rose. "Rose, you'll never guess what happened. The other day I met this guy and he seemed really nice. . ."

"And he was cute," Rose interrupted.

Jackie mock glared at her before conceding. "He offered to help with some odd jobs around here since that boyfriend of yours is hardly around enough to fix things. . ."

"And he called you to say that he won't be around any more," Rose finished before her mother could ramble on.

Jackie snapped her mouth shut and stared at her suspiciously. "How did you know?"

Rose sheepishly told her what happened with Elton and LINDA. Once she had finished she helped her mother with dinner and told her about all their latest adventures, toning down on the danger of course.


	20. Interlude 9

After a night alone in the TARDIS as Jackie insisted that Rose stay in her old room and the Doctor was scared of Jackie slapping him again, though he won't tell Rose that, to sleep in the same bed as her.

The Doctor hurried her along as he had a great place to show her, unfortunately he still got caught by Jackie as she kissed him on the lips. He was still wiping his mouth while he dematerialised the TARDIS to the sound of Roses laughter.

The Doctor was meant to take them to a spa planet that's never known any strife but landed them on a planet called Duggania whose species the Gresiak have been engaged in a nuclear war with members of their own species. Fortunately to them or unfortunately for the leader depending on how you look at it, the Doctor ended that war.

It turned out that sex was extremely important in their society, and is used as a form of social ranking. Highly successful individuals who are deemed to contribute more to society are permitted to have multiple spouses, while ordinary citizens are only permitted to have one.

Rose being as jeopardy friendly as she is, caught the eye of their leader who believed that it would increase his standing even more to have a spouse as exotic as Rose looked. Unfortunately for the leader he never asked Roses permission first and he received the full force of the oncoming storm.

It turns out that the whole war was started because the leader took a spouse that was in love with someone else who loved her back. The moment the Doctor defeated the leader the leader of the opposite side stood up to him and won back the spouse that was taken from him. So now instead of accepting their standing if they want a spouse they fight in gladiator still combats.

The Doctor still hadn't calmed down hours later while they were floating in the vortex.

Rolling her eyes she grabbed his hand and pulled him down the corridors of the TARDIS. "Come on, I know what'll calm you down."

His interest pecked when she stopped in front of the door too the Gallifreyan simulated room. He opened the door to find the familiar red grass and silver trees. What was new, was the patches of Arkytior flowering all over. "The TARDIS and I wanted to give a gift since it is your birthday," Rose explained.

"How did you know it's my birthday?" The Doctor questioned. "I don't even know it's my birthday."

Rose smiled her special smile at him. "The TARDIS knows everything," Rose informed him.

"Funny," the Doctor commented. "She's never cared about that before. In fact Time Lords never worried about celebrating someone's birth date."

Rose kissed him softly. "Then maybe we should change that. If anything it's a chance to dress up and dance or we could dress down and Dance," Rose hinted as she took off across the field.

The Doctor stood watching her for a moment before he saw her jacket fall on the ground. When her shirt followed soon after it broke him out of his trance and they spent the hours chasing each other.


	21. Children are anoying

Rose grins at the Doctor as she watches him bounce around the console. She can feel them drawing closer to Canary Wharf and couldn't help a shiver that passed through her.

The Doctor looked up as he felt a quick jab of fear run through his bond with Rose. "Rose, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Rose answered as she shook of her melancholy thoughts and grinned her tongue in teeth grin at him.

The Doctor giggled at seeing her smile before quickly throwing his hand over his mouth to stifle it. Time Lords do not giggle. He saw Roses smug smile and decided he need to distract her quickly before she starts teasing him. "How do you feel about going to see the 2012 olympics in London?" The Doctor asks as he inputs the co-ordinates and runs around pushing buttons and pulling levers. He pauses with his hand on the dematerialisation lever as he looks over to Rose. At Roses nod he grins back as he pulls the lever and they hurtle through the vortex.

Rose watches the Doctor as he makes sure everything's going well, and they land where their suppose to when an idea comes to Rose. Walking up behind the Doctor she places her arms around him till her hands are splayed on his chest as she places a whisper kiss just behind his ear.

The Doctor stiffens as he feels her hands on his chest, then melts when he feels a tiny kiss behind his ear. He absentmindedly pulled the last lever to land the TARDIS as he feels Roses hand moving down. He could feel himself hardening slightly as he let a groan out. The TARDIS jarred them suddenly as she landed and dislodged Roses hands.

Rose smirked as she watched the Doctor almost run as he heads to the door, she loves teasing him cause he's so easy since he's not use to a human relationship. She can feel through their bond that he's not running from her, he's not use to these emotions.

**"That sure was an interesting reaction,"** Bad Wolf smirk.** "His face turned red."**

Rose rolled her eyes at Bad Wolfs comment as she moved to the buttons that would turn the TARDIS around the right way.

The Doctor grabbed his coat and shrugged it on as he felt Roses amusement. The Doctor grabbed the door and pulled it open to come face to face with the side of a shipping container. "Ah," he commented as he closed the doors and turned to head back to the console. He stopped in surprise to find Rose already pushing the buttons to turn them around.

He felt the TARDIS land again and grinned at Rose as she moved towards him. "That's my brilliant Rose Tyler," the Doctor exclaimed as he pecked her on the lips before moving back towards the door.

"Yes I had a wonderful teacher," Rose watched as the Doctor puffed his chest out as his ego inflated. "Yep, the TARDIS is great." Rose felt the TARDIS laugh while the Doctor pouted.

Opening the doors again he finally finished what he was saying before. "Ah!"

Rose rolled her eyes as she followed the Doctor out the doors. She noticed a flyer on the wall, she walked over to investigate as she commented. "So, near future, yeah?"

"I had a passing fancy," the Doctor explained. "Only, it didn't pass, it stopped." The Doctor grabbed her hand as he lead her down the street. "30th Olympiad," the Doctor exclaimed.

"No way!" Rose exclaimed sarcastically. "Why didn't I think of this?"

"Oi," the Doctor protested before continuing. "Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about. Wrestling with each other in the sand, as the crowds stood around baying . . . No, wait a minute, that was club med." Rose held back her grin as the Doctor nudged her should. "Just in time for the opening doodah ceremony tonight. I thought you'd like that. Last one they had in London was dynamite."

"As in you blew it up," Rose broke in with a tongue touched smile.

"Oi," the Doctor protested again. "I don't blow everything up," he sniffed before continuing. "Wembley, 1948. I loved it so much I went back and watched it all over again. Fella carrying a torch. Lovely chap. What was his name . . . Mark? John, Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet . . ."

Rose let the Doctor continue to waffle on as he does as she moved towards a post with a poster of missing children on it. "Doctor . . ." She calls, trying to get his attention.

"And in those days, everyone had a tea party to go to . . ." The Doctor continued on oblivious.

"Doctor!" Rose called louder.

"You ever have those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top?" The Doctor questioned. He still hadn't realised that Rose was no longer next to him. Rose rolled her eyes as she felt Bad Wolf and the TARDIS's amusement.

**"He really loves to talk, doesn't he?"** Bad Wolf commented, failing to hide her amusement.

"You should really look at this!" Rose tried again as she hid her smirk.

"You know those things?" The Doctor turned to ask Rose only to find she was no longer next to him but looking at a flyer. "Nobody else in this entire galaxy has ever been bothered to make edible ball bearings, genius!" The Doctor continued as he moved towards Rose. He finally notices the flyers of missing children that caught Roses attention. "Who's taken them, do you think?" The Doctor enquired as he took a slow look around the perfectly ordinary street. "Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this," that's when the Doctor realised what had been bothering him. "And why is it so cold? Someone reducing the temperature?"

"Says here he went missing this week," Rose pointed out. "Why would any being do something like this?"

The Doctor watched her closely. "You don't think it's a person?"

Before Rose could answer him they hear a door opening down the street and watch as a lady walks out quickly to place a rubbish bag at the curb before scurrying back inside. "Whatever it is, it's got the whole street scared to death," Rose prompted the Doctor hoping to distract him. "Doctor, what . . ."

Rose turned around to see the Doctor running down the road and stopping in a front yard with a soccer goal set up. Rolling her eyes she ran after him. The Doctor held out his hand as he knelt down over the spot he sensed. He felt something but it was faded. Rose slowed to a walk as she got near the Doctor when a car stopped next to her.

"There you go," a road worker nearby walks over to help. "Fifth today. That's not natural, is it?"

"Dunno what happened," the driver responded. "I had it serviced less than a month ago."

The road worker shook his head. "Nah, don't even try to explain it, mate. All the cars are doing it, and you know what? It's bonkers," the road worker commented as he moved to the back of the vehicle. "Come on then, pal, I'll help you shift it. Quicker your on your way, happier you'll be." The driver gets out and starts pushing from the drivers side door while the road worker pushes from the back. "There we go," the road worker grunted out.

"Do you want a hand," Rose smirks as she notices how hard it is for the road worker.

"No," the road worker dismisses. "We're alright, love."

Rose follows them as it looks like the road worker might have a heart attack. "Well, you're not. I'm tougher than I look, honest."

The road worker moved over and Rose started pushing. They get a few feet further down the road and the car ends up restarting on its own. Unfortunately the road worker wasn't as quick as Rose and ended up falling down as the car took off.

"Does this happen a lot?" Rose questioned as she watched the car drive off.

"Cheers mate!" The driver called back.

The road worker sighed. "Been doing it all week."

"Since those children started going missing?" Rose pointed out.

"Yeah. Suppose so," the road worker shrugged.

The Doctors meanwhile oblivious to what's going on, was watching the hairs on his hand react to the strange energy as he smiled. "Hmmm, tickles," the Doctor heard someone walking up and figured it was Rose therefore he was surprised to hear a male voice.

"What's your game?" The male asked suspiciously.

The Doctor turned and looked up at a big fella standing over him. "My . . . Um . . .," the Doctor stuttered. "Snakes and ladders. Quite good at squash, reasonable . . . I'm being facetious, aren't I? There's no call for it.

Rose and the road worker were moving back to where his van was parked as he exclaimed suddenly. "Every car cuts out. Council are going nuts. I mean, they've even given this street the works. Renamed it. I've been tarmacking every pothole. Look at that," he points out one section he finished. "Beauty, innit? Yep and all this is because that Olympic torch comes right by the end of this close. Just down there," he points out. "Everything's gotta be perfect, ain't it? Only it ain't."

"It takes em when they're playing," an elderly lady interrupts.

"What takes them?" Rose questions.

"Danny, Jane, Dale, snatched in the blink of an eye," the elderly lady continues as Rose notices that the Doctor has gotten himself into trouble again.

"Liar! You're a liar," the man the Doctor was talking to exclaimed suddenly.

"I'm a . . . I'm a . . . Police officer!" The Doctor insisted. "That's what I am. I've got a badge and a police car," Roses amusement shot up when she felt the TARDIS's annoyance at being called a police car. "You don't have to get . . . I can prove it. Just hold on . . ." The Doctor insisted as he stuck his hand in his pocket up to the elbow trying to look for the psychic paper.

The man sneered. "We've had plenty of coppers poking round here, and you don't look or sound like any of 'em," the man finished by pointing at him.

The Doctor pointed at Rose as he continued searching for the psychic paper. "See? Look, I got a colleague! Lewis."

"Well, she looks less like a copper than you do," the man pointed out.

"Training. New recruit," the Doctor answered while trying to ignore Roses annoyance coming through the bond. "It was either that or hairdressing. So . . . Voila!" The Doctor exclaimed suddenly as he located the psychic paper and showed it to the man that was angry at him. By this stage Rose noticed that they have gathered a few curious people to them.

"What are you going to do?" A dark skinned lady questioned.

"The police have knocked on every door," the elderly lady queried. "No clues, no leads, nothing!"

"Look, look, kids run off sometimes, all right?" The man that was hassling the Doctor insisted. The Doctor was really starting to get annoyed with him. "That's what they do," he finished.

"I saw it with me own eyes," the elderly lady insisted. "Dale Hicks in your garden playing with your Tommy, and then . . . Poof. Right in front of me, like he was never there. There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us!"

Rose noticed the dark skinned lady looked nervous and a little afraid. "Why don't we . . ." The Doctor started only to be interrupted.

"Why don't we start with him!" Another lady with short reddish hair pointed to the road workers. "There's been all sorts like him in this street, day and night . . ."

"Fixing things up for the olympics!" The road worker exclaimed, affronted.

"Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it!" The same man that was hassling the Doctor, pointed out to them.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at everyone's dramatics. "I'm of the opinion that all we've gotta do is . . ."

"That woman who just said . . ." The road worker pointed, interrupting the Doctor. "That's slander!"

"I done care what it is!" The woman bite back.

"I think we need to just . . ." The Doctor tried again but no one was listening to him.

"I want an apology of her!" The road worker demanded.

"Stop picking on him," the elderly lady defends.

Rose tried to hide her amusement from the Doctor. It's not everyday that people refuse to listen to him. From the angry look the Doctor sent her way she'd guess that he felt it anyway.

"Yeah, stop picking on me!" The road worker exclaimed.

"And stop pretending to be blind!" The elderly lady added. "It's evil."

"I don't believe in evil," the woman declared.

Rose and the Doctor could both see the road worker getting more irate. "Oh, no! You just believe in tarmacker's with sack-loads of kidnapped kiddies in their van," the road worker scorned.

"Hey, hey, that's not what she's saying!" The man pointed out.

"Would you stop ganging up on me?" The road worker defended.

"Feeling guilty, are we?" The woman pointed out. It definitely sounded like she was accusing him.

The Doctor holds up his hand and yells. "Fingers on lips!" As he places his pointer finger on his lips. He looks around at them as they all place a finger on their lips as they watch confused. The Doctor then notices Rose hasn't and gives her a pointed look till she also places a finger on her lips.

"In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen," the Doctor continued. "Snatched out of thin air, right?"

"Uh . . .can I . . .," the elderly lady requests, indicating her finger. The Doctor allows her to lower her finger so she can continue. "Look around you. This was a safe street till it came. It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe your coppers, maybe your not. I don't care who you are," the elderly lady cries. "Can you please help us?"

It's then that Rose remembers the child in the window and looking up, sure enough, there that child was. Rose was distracted by the dark skinned lady realising who she saw, turned around and entered the house where the child lives.

The rest of the adults turned and walked back to their houses while the Doctor lead Rose back to the yard with a soccer goal set up. Rose rolled her eyes as he starts sniffing all around the yard. Noticing the guy that had a go at the Doctor before, she decided that she better move the Doctor on.

"Coming down with something, Doctor?" Rose queries with a grin.

"You smell it?" The Doctor questions as he ignores Roses question. "What's it remind you off?"

"Sort of metal?" Rose questions as she feels a tingle move up her arm. Holding out her arm she notices the hairs standing up. "I can feel it too," Rose points out.

The Doctor grabs her arm and watches as the little hairs stand on end. "Your more sensitive than I thought. I should do some tests when we get back to the TARDIS."

Wanting to get his mind off running any sort of test, Rose prodded him back on track. "What about if we find a fresher trail? Would that help?"

The Doctor grinned at her suggestion. "That's my Rose, asking the right questions. Let's check over there," the Doctor pointed to an ally way between two houses. Rose waved to the man as they wondered off.

"Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other," the Doctor informed her as they walked down the alley way. The Doctor stops suddenly. "Whoa! There it goes again," he holds out his hand to show Rose. "Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand."

Rose holds out her arm which is reacting the same way. "And there's that smell," Rose points out. "It's like a burnt fuse plug or something."

There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished," the Doctor spoke aloud as he tried to work out what was going on. "Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this."

Rose follows the Doctor quietly as he tries to work out what's happening. She notices a cat sitting nearby. "Oh, aren't you a beautiful boy!"

"Thanks," the Doctor preens. "I'm experimenting with back combing. Oh," he stops as he realises Rose wasn't talking to him.

Rose bent down to pat the cat. "I use to have one like you," she notices the Doctors pout and comments. "Yes, your beautiful too, Doctor."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I'm not really a cat person. Once you've been threatened by one in a nuns wimple, kind of takes the joy out of it."

Rose follows the cat as it walks into a box while the Doctor has a look around. Hearing a funny noise Rose reaches for the box and turns it around to find the cat gone. "Doctor," Rose calls out as she moves back from the strong smell coming from the box.

"Whoa!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Ion residue. Blimey!" He continues as he waves his hand, trying to dispel the smell. "That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby is just like, I'm having some of that! I'm impressed."

"So the cats been transported?" Rose sums up.

The Doctor continues. "It can harness huge reserves of ionic power. We need to find the source of that power. Find the source and you will find whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see. Keep 'em peeled, Lewis," the Doctor informs her.

The Doctor moves one way while Rose walks in the opposite direction. She's looking for the door where she found the scribble creature before but all the doors look alike. She stops suddenly and looks to her right as she hears a thudding on a door. Moving closer, she tries to steel herself as she reaches out to open the door. She opens the garage door slowly, it's not until the door opens fully does the creature attack her.

Even though Rose had braced herself, the creature still managed to take her by surprise. She did manage to keep on her feet this time though which was a blessing. She's still unsure how to fight a scribble creature as she hears the Doctor shouting.

The Doctor had almost walked around the block when he sees Rose opening a garage door. Wondering what she had found, he walked closer as he saw a scribble creature attack her. "Stay still," he yelled at Rose as he ran closer to her. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the creature and reduced its size till it was the size of a small ball of twine. Rose picked up the ball as the Doctor reached her. "Okey dokey," he asks as he checks to make sure that Rose is safe.

"Yeah, cheers," Rose replied as she held up the ball.

"No probs," the Doctor grinned as he hugged Rose. "I'll give you a fiver if you could tell me what the hell it is. 'Cause I haven't got the foggiest," the Doctor questioned.

Rose was sooo tempted to tell him but half the fun is figuring things out and considering that no one dies this time she'll let him figure it out. "Well, I can tell it was never living."

The Doctor grinned at his brilliant Rose as he kissed her nose. "It's animated by energy. The same energy that's snatching people. That is so dinky!" The Doctor babbled. "The go-anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket. Makes friends, impresses the boss, breaks the ice at parties," he laughs as he places it in his pocket.

Rose laughs with him as she grabs the Doctors hand and links their fingers together as they head back to the TARDIS. Rose moved to sit on the jump seat while the Doctor placed the creature in a clear place on the console and set the TARDIS up to analyse the creature.

The TARDIS beeped at him to let him know that's she's finished. "Oh. Hi-oh. Here we go. Let's have a look," the Doctor adjusted the monitor slightly. "Get out of here!"

Rose raises her brows at him. "What's it say?"

The Doctor picked up the creature and stares at it dumbfounded as he picks up a pencil supplied by the TARDIS and using the eraser end he starts erasing the creature. "It is," the Doctor exclaimed as he blew some of the creature away. "It's graphite. Basically, the same material as an HB pencil."

"I was attacked by a pencil scribble?" Rose clarified.

The Doctor agreed. "A scribble creature," the Doctor sniffs at it. "Brought into being with ionic energy. Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make a scribble creature?"

"Maybe it was a mistake," Rose pointed out. "I mean, you scribble over something when you wanna get rid of it, like a drawing. Like a child's drawing," Rose remembered something suddenly. "He said it was in the street."

"Probably," the Doctor agreed.

"The girl," Rose remembered.

"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed. "What girl?" He asked confused.

Rose continued. "Something about her gave me the creeps. Even her own mum looked scared of her."

"Are you deducting?" The Doctor queried.

Rose sent the Doctor her tongue touched smile. "I think I am."

"Coppers hunch?" The Doctor continued.

"Permission to follow it up, sarge," Rose requests cheekily.

The Doctor copies her grin as Rose grabs his hand and interlacing their fingers she leads him to the house where she saw the little girl.

As they walked up the pathway to the front door they debated through their bond how to approach the mother. They had finally decided on a course of action as the doctor rang the doorbell. Not hearing anything on the other side the Doctor knocks on the door. They finally hear the mother approaching the door and had a smile fixed in place by the time she opened the door.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted. "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Can we see your daughter?"

Trish looked them up and down. "No. You can't."

The Doctor shrugged. "Okay. Bye," the Doctor and Rose turn and start to walk off.

They get halfway back to the footpath when Trish calls out to them again. "Why? Why do you want to see Chloe?"

They turn back to face the mother. "Well, there's some interesting stuff going on in this street, and I just thought . . . Well, we thought that she might like to give us a hand."

"Sorry to bother you," Rose apologised nudging the Doctor with her elbow.

"Yeah, sorry," the Doctor copied. "We'll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye again."

They turned their backs on her again. "Wait," the mother calls out again. "Can you help her?"

"Yes I can," the Doctor grinned at her.

She introduced herself as Trish as they followed her into the lounge where a news report was on TV. _"The torchbearer is running up towards the Mall . . ."_ Rose makes herself comfy on the couch while the Doctor takes off his long overcoat and throws it next to her.

"She stays in her room most of the time," Trish continues. "I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall. She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone."

"What about Chloe's dad?" Rose enquires.

Trish hesitates slightly which has both the Doctor and Rose curious. "Chloe's dad died a year ago."

"I'm sorry," Rose apologised.

Trish scoffed. "You wouldn't be if you'd known him."

"Well, let's go and say hi," the Doctor broke through the tension in the room.

"I should check on her first," Trish hesitates. "She might be asleep."

The Doctors mood turns serious. "Why are you afraid of her, Trish?"

"I want you to know, before you see her," she explained. "That she's really a great kid."

"I'm sure she is," the Doctor agreed.

"Yeah," Trish nodded. "She's never been in trouble at school. You should see her report from last year. A's and B's."

Rose knew that at the rate she was going they would never see Chloe. Rose reached for her bond with the Doctor.** "I'm gonna go up and see Chloe."**

**"Be careful,"** the Doctor cautioned her.

"Can I use your loo?" Rose asks.

Trish nods to Rose and the Doctor watches as Rose leaves before turning back to Trish. "She's in the choir. She sings in an old folks home. Any mum would be proud, you know? I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor, because right now, she's not herself."

Rose hears Trish's voice fade out as she heads upstairs. Noticing a shadow moving under a door Rose quickly hides in the linen closet as Chloe left her room to head downstairs. Rose quietly moved to Chloe's bedroom as she kept an ear out for Chloe returning.

Entering the bedroom she noticed the drawings on the wall. Walking closer she could feel the difference, similar to the feel of the ion energy that placed the kids in the drawings to begin with. "Don't worry, the Doctor will save you," Rose whispered to the drawings, hoping they can hear her.

Rose was so focused on reassuring the kids that she was startled when the closet door rattled. Whipping around she knocked a cup of coloured pencils of the desk. She picked them up and placed them back on the desk before looking back at the drawings to find that they had moved.

While Rose was investigating upstairs the Doctor and Trish were still talking in the living room. That's when the Doctor heard someone in the kitchen. The Doctor followed by Trish slowly made his way to the kitchen to find Chloe rummaging through the fridge. "All right there?" He asked. Chloe doesn't even acknowledge him as she closes the fridge. "I'm the Doctor," he tried again.

Chloe finally turned around and looked at him. "I'm Chloe Webber," she greeted him.

"How you doing, Chloe Webber?" The Doctor acknowledged.

"I'm busy," she replied. "I'm making something. Aren't I mum?"

"And like I said, she's not been sleeping . . ." Trish continued.

"But you've been drawing, though," the Doctor finished for her. He noticed the smudges on her fingers. "I'm rubbish. Stick men about my limit. I can do this, though," the Doctor held up his fingers in the Vulcan greeting. "Can you do that?" The Doctor enquired.

Chloe thou looked unimpressed. "They don't stop moaning."

"Chloe," Trish broke in.

"I tried to help them, but they don't stop moaning," Chloe continued uninterrupted.

The Doctor slowly lowered his hand. "Who don't?" The Doctor asked as his mind ran through many possibilities.

"We can be together," Chloe replied.

"Sweetheart," Trish tried again as she moved to hug Chloe.

"Don't touch me, mum," Chloe snapped.

Rose was again startled when the door to the closet rattled again. She knew it was a bad idea but she needed to remember what was behind the door. She reached for the handles and slowly opened the door, a red glow coming from the back of a closet. Moving the clothing out of the way she found a drawing on the back wall.

"I'M COMING," a voice warns, coming from the drawing.

"I'm busy, Doctor," Chloe insisted as she started to head back to her room.

The Doctor followed her. "Come on, Chloe, don't be a spoil sport. What's the big project?" The Doctor continued trying to give Rose more time. "I'm dying to know. What you making up there?"

"Doctor," Rose yelled suddenly. The Doctor flew passed Chloe and up the stairs to Chloe's room.

"I'M COMING TO HURT YOU . . ." The sinister voice continued.

The Bad Wolf in Rose, sensing a threat started to stir as her eyes start to glow. The Bad Wolf doesn't back down from any threat.

The Doctor on reaching the room slammed the doors closed in front of Rose and hugged her as his hearts started to calm down. He released Rose as Trish came into the room, followed by Chloe.

"What the hell was that?" Trish demanded.

"A drawing. Face of a man . . ." Rose tried to explain as she sent the Doctor images through their bond.

"What face?" Trish demanded as she went to open the closet door.

Rose refused to move away. "Best not."

Seeing that Rose won't let her thru the door she turned to Chloe. "What have you been drawing?"

"I drew him yesterday," Chloe hedged.

"Who?" Trish insisted.

"Dad," Chloe defended.

"Your dad?" Trish exclaimed in shock. "But he's long gone," Trish insisted. "Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world, why him?"

"I dream of him staring at me," Chloe defended again.

"I thought we were putting this behind us," Trish questioned. "What's the matter with you?"

Chloe stiffened. "We need to stay together."

"Yes, we do," Trish agreed as she thought she had finally got through to her.

Chloe shook her head. "No, not you. Us," the Doctor turned as he heard Chloe's remark as she continued. "We need to stay together, and then it'll be all right."

Rose watches as Trish tries to comfort Chloe who turns her head away. "Trish, the drawings," Rose gently points out. "Have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?"

Trish went on the defensive. "Who gave you permission to come into her room? Get out of my house."

"Tell us about the drawings, Chloe," the Doctor broke in.

"I don't want to hear any more of this," Trish interrupted desperately.

"But that drawing of her dad . . ." Rose tried to get through to her. "I heard a voice, he spoke."

"He's dead," Trish cried. "And these?" She gestured to the other pictures. "There kids pictures. Now get out!" She demanded.

Rose tried again. "Chloe has a power. And I don't know how, but she used it to take Danny Edwards, Dale Hicks. She's using it to snatch the kids."

"Get out!" Trish tried to insist but her voice turned to uncertainty.

"Have you seen those drawings move?" Rose questioned.

"I haven't seen anything," though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

The Doctor pushed her to see what she's afraid of seeing. "Yes, you have. Out of the corner of your eye."

"No," she continued insisting.

The Doctor ignored her and continued. "And you dismissed it, because what choice do you have? When you see something you can't possibly explain," the Doctor insisted as he moved closer to her. "You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry. So it's never spoken of again."

"She's a child," Trish insisted.

"And your terrified of her," the Doctor finally got to the centre of the problem. "But there's no one to turn too, 'cause who's gonna believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one," the Doctor paused briefly. "Except me," the Doctor finished by assuring her.

"Who are you?" Trish finally asks.

The Doctor stared her in the eyes. "I'm help," he assured her.

Trish takes all of Chloe's pencils off her before leading the Doctor and Rose back into the kitchen so they can talk.

The Doctor immediately heads to the pantry and taking a jar of marmalade of the shelf, takes the top of and dips his fingers in then placing the same fingers in his mouth. Rose rolls her eyes as she sees what he's doing and clears her throat while reaching for their bond. **"You don't touch other people's food, Doctor. Not without asking, at least."**

The Doctor, noticing the look that Trish was sending him, placed the jar behind him on the bench. "Those pictures," Rose started getting everyone back on topic. "They're alive. She's drawing people and they end up in her pictures."

"Ionic energy," the Doctor confirmed. "Chloe's harnessing it to steel those kids and place them in some kind of holding pen made up of ionic power."

"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?" Rose questioned.

Trish broke in then. "How many times do I have to tell you? He's dead."

"Well, he's got a very loud voice for a dead bloke," Rose snarked.

"If living things can become drawings," the Doctor points out seriously. "Then maybe drawings can become living things," the Doctor shivers suddenly, startling Rose and Trish. "Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. That dad seems very real. That's the dad she's drawn," the Doctor pointed out. "And he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world."

"She always got the worst of it when he was alive," Trish explains.

Rose looked to the Doctor. "How can a 12 year old girl be doing any of this, Doctor?"

The Doctor takes a deep breathe as he comes up with an idea. "Let's find out."

Rose follows the Doctor with Trish right behind her as he takes them back to Chloe's room. They walk in to find Chloe sitting on her bed watching them silently.

The Doctors impressed when Chloe greets him with the Vulcan hand greeting. "Nice one," the Doctor kneels down next to her and places his fingers on her temples, entering her mind. Chloe's eyes rolled back suddenly and the Doctor lowers her gently to the bed. "There we go."

Rose grabs Trish as she moves to step forward. "I can't let him."

"Shh, it's okay," Rose whispered to her. "Trust him."

The Doctor stands back up next to the bed as he looked at Chloe. "Now we can talk."

"I want Chloe!" A rough voice demands out of Chloe's mouth. "Wake her up! I want Chloe!"

"Who are you?" The Doctor questions.

"I want Chloe Webber!" The voice continues to demand as she hits the bed with Chloe's fist.

Trish shrugs of Roses hand. "What have you done to my little girl?"

"That's something inside Chloe, isn't it?" Rose points out.

"I'm speaking to you," the Doctor continues. "The entity that is using this human child. I request parley in compliance with the shadow proclamation."

"I don't care about shadows or parleyses!" The voice insisted.

The Doctor looks confused, the entity sounds like a child throwing a tantrum. "So what do you care about?"

"I want my friends," the voice insisted.

"You're lonely," the Doctor realised. "I know," he sympathised as he felt the loneliness that he went through since he started travelling. It was then that he realised he hasn't felt alone since he met Rose. Even before the bond was created from the moment he met Rose, he hasn't felt alone. He felt Rose reach for their bond and give it a loving stroke. "Identify yourself," the Doctor asked.

"I am one of many," the voice insisted. "I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it. It's not fair, and I hate it."

The Doctor lost his gentle look. "Name yourself," he ordered.

"Isolus," the entity gave in.

Now it all makes sense, why she's taken the children but also very bad for Earth. "You're Isolus, of course," the Doctor exclaimed.

"Our journey began in the deep realms," the entity continued as the Doctor noticed her drawing something without looking. "When we were a family."

"What's that?" Trish questioned what she's drawing.

"Isolus mother," the Doctor explained. "Drifting in deep space. See? She jettisons millions of fledgling spores, her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotion. When their cast off from there mother, their empathic link, their need for each other, is what sustains them. They need to be together. They cannot be alone."

The Isolus explains. "Our journey is long."

"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod," the Doctor continued to explain. "They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. And it takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up.

"Thousands of years just floating through space?" Rose questions quietly and the feelings she had been suppressing since coming back rose up quickly. Suddenly an intense feeling of loneliness swept through her as Bad Wolf stirred.** "You are loved by all,"** Bad Wolf assured her. The Doctor turned to look at Rose as a feeling of loneliness came through his bond with her. He was about to ask Rose about the feeling when her voice brought him back to their current predicament. "Poor things. Do they use the Ion energy to stop going mad with boredom?"

"We play," the Isolus explained.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed to both Rose and the Isolus as he sat by her head. "While they travel, they play a game. They use their ionic power to literally create a make believe world in which to play."

Rose nods impressed. "In-flight entertainment."

The Doctor shrugged. "Helps keep them happy. While their happy they can feed of each other's love. Without it, they're lost," he sympathised. "Why did you come to earth?" He continues to question.

"We were too close," Isolus answers as she puts aside the drawing that she had just finished and started again.

The Doctor explained as she continued to draw. "That's a solar flare from your sun. Would have made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods."

"Only I fell to earth," the Isolus finished. "My brothers and sisters are left up there, and I cannot reach them. So alone!"

"Your pod crashed?" The Doctor realised. "Where is it?"

"My pod was drawn to heat," the Isolus explained. "And I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me. Alone. She needed me and I her."

"You empathised with her," the Doctor summarised. "You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you."

"I want my family!" The Isolus demanded. "It's not fair!"

"I understand," the Doctor empathised. "You wanna make a family. But you can't stay in this child. It's wrong. You can't steal anymore friends for yourself."

"I am alone," the Isolus stated.

The doors to the wardrobe shook startling Trish. "IM COMING TO HURT YOU. IM COMING," a sinister voice demanded.

Chloe starts shaking so the Doctor turned to Trish. "Trish, how do you calm her?"

"What?" Trish demands as she shakily turns back to the Doctor.

"When she has nightmares, what do you do?" The Doctor asks. "What do you do?" He demands as she hesitates.

"I sing to her," she answers distractedly as the thumping gets louder.

"Then start singing," he insists as he gets up and gestures for Trish to take his place.

More thudding as the door rattles. "CHLOE, IM COMING. . ."

Trish moves to kneel beside Chloe's bed and starts stroking her head as she sings. "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, Merry merry King of the bush is he."

"CHLOE," the sinister voice breaks in. "CHLOE." The sinister voice fades as Trish continues to sing.

"Kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra, gay your life must be," Trish stops singing as the voice stops. "It came to her because she was lonely," Trish starts crying. "Chloe, I'm sorry."

Trish pulled herself together after a few minutes and motioning to Rose and the Doctor to leave Chloe asleep. Trish leads them downstairs and into the living room where the news about the Olympics was still on. "Chloe usually got the blunt of his temper, when he's had a drink," Trish explained. "The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over."

"Did you talk to her about it?" Rose queries.

"I didn't want to," Trish admits.

"But maybe that's why Chloe feels so alone," Rose explained gently. "'Cause she has all these terrible dreams about her dad, but she can't talk to you about them."

The Doctor agreed as he sent a wave of affection across the bond to Rose. "Her and the Isolus, two lonely kids who need each other."

"And it won't stop, will it Doctor?" Rose points out. "Just keep pulling kids in."

"It's desperate to be loved," the Doctor agreed. "And it's use to a pretty big family."

"Not Earth big, Doctor?" Rose asked hesitantly.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Around four billion?"

Rose and the Doctor decided to head back to the TARDIS. "We need that pod," the Doctor pointed out as he slipped his long coat on, on the way out the door.

"It crashed in something hot, didn't it?" Rose remembered.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "It's been sucking in all the heat it can. Hopefully that should keep it in a fit state to launch. It must be close. It should have a weak signature the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus. We can scan for the same trace that I picked up from the scribble creature. Just need to widen the field a bit."

The Doctor and Rose enter the TARDIS and while the Doctor threw his long coat over a coral strut and pulled some spare parts out from under the console to cobble a device together. Rose sat on the jump seat and watched.

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you," Rose gently scolded.

Rose felt the Doctors loneliness before he responded. "I know what it's like to travel a long way on your own. Give me the steino-magnetic . . . um . . . Thing in your left hand."

Rose knew what he was doing. "It's just a scared little kid who wants its family."

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. He knew Rose would sympathise but what he didn't expect was the pain that accompanied it.

"But," Rose continued knowing the Doctor won't like what she says. "The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people."

"That's why it went to Chloe," the Doctor explained. "Two lonely mixed up kids."

Rose couldn't help but comment. "Sometimes it seems like a temper tantrum cause it can't get its own way."

"It's scared," the Doctor exclaimed. "Come on, you were a kid once. Binary dot."

Rose handed over the binary dot before replying. "Yes," Rose agreed. "And I know what kids can be like. Right little terrors."

"Gum," the Doctor demanded as he held out his hand.

Rose spat her gum out in his hand. "I've got cousins. Kids can't have it all their own way. That's part of being a family."

"And what about trying to understand them?" The Doctor questioned, surprised by Roses take on children.

"You can understand them and still not give them what they want," Rose countered.

The Doctor finally finished the device. "I think we're there. Fear. Loneliness. They're the big ones, Rose. Some of the moments terrible acts are ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy. There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe, wrap device, wormhole refractors. You know the thing you need most of all?" The Doctor asked. "You need a hand to hold."

The TARDIS beeped, letting them know that the scan was complete. Rose held out her hand to indicate the monitor and the Doctor grabbed it thinking it was because of what he said. "No, look," Rose laughed.

"It's the pod!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly. "It is in the street! Everything's coming up Doctor," the Doctor and Rose head back out of the TARDIS to find the pod. "Okay, it's like, two inches across. Dull grey, like a gulls egg, very light," the Doctor explained.

"So these pods, they travel from some sun using heat, yeah?" Rose summed up. "So it's not all about love and stuff. The pod doesn't just need heat, does it?" Roses bond with the Doctor, TARDIS and Bad Wolf are stretched so thin that Roses mind starts panicking. At the same time she hears a crash and turning around she sees the device the Doctor created smashed on the ground and both the Doctor and the TARDIS had disappeared.

"Doctor," Rose calls uselessly. Panic sweeps through her and a migraine threatens as her mind grasps on to the only link left as hard as possible as Rose ran back to Trish's house.

Trish opens the door to Roses knock and Rose pushes past her. "It's okay, I've taken all the pencils of her," Trish assures her.

Rose ignores her as she rushes upstairs and barges into Chloe's room. "Leave me alone," the Isolus demands. "I want to be with Chloe Webber! I love Chloe Webber!"

Rose glares at her. "Bring him back now."

"No," the Isolus denies.

Rose grabs her. "Don't you realise what you've done? He was the only one who could send you back to your family. Now bring him back!"

"Leave me alone!" The Isolus insists. "I love Chloe Webber!"

Rose finally managed to reign in her panic to think clearly. Rose holds up the drawing of the Doctor. "Doctor if you can hear me, I'm gonna get you out of there. I'll find the pod," Rose puts the drawing down and moves past Trish. "Don't leave her alone, no matter what," Rose orders as she reaches the door then turns back to the Isolus. "You don't know the meaning of the word love until you've been through hell and back for them."

Rose closes the front door behind her as she exits and looks around. "Heat. They travel on heat." Rose sees the road Worker from before.

"Look at this finish," Rose heard the road worker exclaim. "Smooth as a baby's bottom. Not a bump or a lump."

Roses thoughts suddenly click into place and Rose runs to Kel's van. "Hey that's a council van," Kel complains as he follows her. "Out." Rose ignores him and grins as she pulls out a pick axe. "Now wait a minute," Kel protested. "You've just removed a council axe from a council van. Put it back!" Kel suddenly realised that she was about to destroy the fresh tar he had laid." No, don't, wait. If it's going in the van, that's my van. Gimme the axe! Wait! No! No! You . . .stop!"

Rose starts laying into the tar seal trying to dig up the pod. "You just took a council axe from a council van, and now your digging up a council road!" Kel cried. "I'm reporting you to the council!"

Ignoring Kel, Rose finally broke through the surface and throwing the axe aside she fell on her knees and dug through until she found the pod. "It went for the hottest thing in the street, yeah? Your tar."

"What is it?" Kel exclaimed still upset.

"It's a spaceship," Rose explained, holding it up. "Not a council spaceship, I'm afraid." Rose suddenly hears the crowd of people exclaiming about a stadium full of people disappearing.

She runs to the crowd and pushes her way through to the front but was stopped by a police officer. "Sorry, you'll have to watch from here."

"No, I've gotta get closer!" Rose insists.

"No way," the officer stopped her.

"I can stop this from happening!" Rose informs him.

Rose holds up the pod as it starts beeping away as the torch gets closer. "You felt it, didn't you? Rose moves back away from the crowd and sending all the love she feels for those she cares about as well as the Doctor she throws the pod in the air.

Rose watched as the pod headed towards the Olympic torch. The torch bearer stumbled as the pod lit up as it sat in the torch. Rose started cheering as she felt the Doctor, TARDIS and Bad Wolf bond strengthening again.

"Nice one," Kel cheered having followed her. "You did it. What was it you did?"

Rose smiled at his confused look as she ran back to the street while Kel followed. Rose watched as all the kids came back.

Mauve suddenly grabbed her arm. "I don't know who you are, or what you did, but thank you, darling," Mauve kissed her cheek. "And thank that man from me, too."

Rose was so focused on finding the pod and getting rid of the Isolus that she forgot about that drawing that's about to come alive. "All the drawings have come to life. That means all of them," as Rose looked to the window for Chloe's room and saw a red glow. "Oh no . . .," Rose exclaimed as she ran to Trish's house. Rose tried to open the front door but it was locked. She could hear Trish banging on the other side. "Trish, get out!"

"I can't," Trish cried. "The doors stuck."

"Mummy," she hears Chloe cry fearfully.

Rose hears a thudding sound as she tried to get the door open. "I'M COMING TO HURT YOU!" The sinister voice called.

"Please dad, no more," she heard Chloe cry out.

"CHLOE," the sinister voice continued.

"Chloe, listen to me," Rose tried. "It isn't real like the others. It's just energy left over by the Isolus. But you can get rid off it, Chloe."

"Help us," Trish pleaded.

Rose realised something then. "Oh, it's cause your scared that he's real. But you can get shot of him, Chloe."

"Mummy," Rose almost broke at the fear in Chloe's voice.

"You can do it, Chloe!" Rose encouraged.

"I can't," Chloe denied.

The sinister voice gets louder as it gets closer. "CHLOE! IM COMING!"

"I can't," Chloe continued to cry.

"IM COMING," he continued to call.

Rose listens as Chloe breaks down and Trish as she assured her that she wouldn't let anything hurt her again. That's when Rose remembered something. "Sing again," she yelled. "Chloe sing!"

Chloe starts singing the kookaburra song, her voice gets stronger as her mother joins her in singing. Their voices get stronger and stronger as the sinister voice start fading until it fades away all together.

Rose breathes a sigh of relief as she sits with her back against the front door. She finally allows herself to feel relief as she basks in her bond with the Doctor.

"Maybe he's gone somewhere," Kel queries as he walks up to Rose.

"Yeah," Rose agreed.

Trish finally recovers and let's Rose inside as they all move to the living room as the news caster exclaimed._ "Just look at this. Utterly incredible scenes at the Olympic stadium. 80,000 athletes and spectators, they disappeared, they've come back. They've returned. They've reappeared. It's quiet incredible."_

"80,000 people returned," Rose grinned.

_"But hang on,"_ the newscaster continued._ "The torchbearer seems to be in a bit of trouble. We did see a flash of lightening earlier that seemed to strike him. Maybe he's injured. He's definitely in trouble,"_ the torchbearer collapses suddenly._ "This means that the Olympic Dream is dead?"_

A pair of very familiar converse appear on screen. "Doctor," Rose gasped as he picked up the torch and ran towards the stadium, up the stairs inside the stadium to light up the big torch.

The Doctor grinned as he lit the big torch. "Go on," the Doctor encouraged the Isolus. "Join your brothers and sisters. They'll be waiting!"

The Doctor finally makes it back to the street as he looks around for Rose. Rose sneaks up behind him and holds up a cupcake with ball bearings on top. "Cake?" She offers.

The Doctor starts laughing as he sees what she's holding. "Top banana!" The Doctor exclaimed as he took a bite of the cupcake. "I can't stress this enough. Ball bearings you can eat. Masterpiece!"

Rose hugged him tightly. "The panic I felt, all I could think was that I had lost you."

"Nah," the Doctor denied. "Not on a night like this, but I will teach your mind how to handle that sort of stress in case it happens again but for now this is a night for lost things being found. Come on."

"What now?" Rose questions.

"I wanna go to the games," the Doctor exclaimed. " It's what we came for."

Rose nudged him. "Go on. Give us a clue. Which events do we do well in?"

"Well," the Doctor hedged. "I will tell you this, Papa New Guinea surprised everyone in the shot put."

"Really?" Rose asked sceptically. "You're joking, aren't you? Doctor? Are you serious or are you joking?"

"Wait and see," the Doctor insisted.

Rose stared at the fireworks. "We'll always be okay, you and me," Rose promised, trying to convince herself as much as the Doctor.

The Doctor lost his grin as he felt something tampering with the timelines. What is strange is that something else is pulling the timelines back, it's like a tug of war between two different things and it was giving him a headache. "Something in the air. Somethings coming. A storms approaching." Rose hugged the Doctor tighter as she too felt the timelines shifting.


	22. Interlude 10

It was a few hours later that Rose found the Doctor in the library surrounded by books. She squeezed between two stacks to make it to the Doctor. "What are you doing?"

Roses question broke the Doctor out of his thoughts as he looked at her. "I'm trying to find out who can manipulate time lines," the Doctor replied.

Rose bit her lip in thought. "What have you found out?"

The Doctor sighed. "Even with the Time Lords still around it would be virtually impossible to manipulate time lines like what I've felt. The only thing I could think of was the guardian of time but there's hardly any information about her."

"Then how do you know that's it's a her?" Rose questioned with a raised brow.

The Doctor sorted through a stack of books til he found the one he was looking for. Pulling it out he searched through the book till he found the passage he was looking for. "Here we go, this is the only mention of the guardian of time," the Doctor showed Rose.

Rose took the book from him and read. "Not much is known about how Rasslion opened the time vortex. One suggestion was that he made a deal with the guardian of time, and she gave him the ability to regenerate which he passed on to the other Time Lords. In return the Time Lords would travel through time and keep the time lines going the way they should be," once Rose finished reading she closed the book and looked at the cover written in circular Gallifreyan. "A history of Time Lords."

The Doctor took the book off her and placed it aside. "That's the only mention about the guardian of time, and even then it was only speculation but if she could give the Time Lords the ability to regenerate and travel through time then she could also manipulate the time lines like I've been feeling."

"But you mentioned that you felt a tug of war between the time lines," Rose pointed out.

The Doctor agreed. "Yes, and that's what has me worried," he explained. "If the time guardian is manipulating the time lines one way then who's trying to pull it the other way and which ones which."

**"Rose, he's forgotten one simple fact,"** Bad Wolf reminded her.

"What about," Rose started. The Doctor sent her encouragement through their bond. "Why are they manipulating time lines around you and not yours specifically?"

The Doctor grinned at her. "That's my Rose, that's a good question. Even though I can't see my own time lines, I would've felt it if someone tried to tamper with them which means either the time guardian or someone else wants me to head in one direction while the other one wants me in another direction."

**"Give him a hint," **Bad Wolf suggested.

Rose felt relived. "But if the time guardian wanted you to go to a certain place she wouldn't need to manipulate the time lines. She'd just send the TARDIS where she wants you to go, wouldn't she?"

The Doctor looked at her in shock. "I never thought of that," he stated impressed. "But that means that someone is trying to make sure I don't head somewhere but then could the time guardian wants to make sure I do, it's giving me a headache."

Rose could feel the pressure coming through their bond. "Tell ya what, maybe we should just relax for now. Forget all about time lines and guardians and go somewhere fun and relaxing," taking Roses advice the Doctor followed Rose to the console room while placing all the information he's gathered to the back of his mind for now.


	23. Ghosts are normal

Rose and the Doctor have been running for the past few months, running away from a future neither wanted to face. The Doctor because he can see the timelines converging and most of them rips Rose from him. Rose because she knows what's coming and she's terrified of failing and being lost again.

Rose had brought the bazoolium a month ago after the Bad Wolf took her over and brought it. She knew she was being unreasonable but thought if she never brought the bazoolium, it might change things.

The TARDIS knew that her wolf was only delaying what was coming out of fear and she had been trying to ease her worries but finally decided after giving them time to be with each other, to take matters into her own hands. The TARDIS landed on the one planet that started it all.

The Doctor knew something was about to happen and not because he can sense timelines. Roses behaviour the past months was strange. He can feel Roses anxiety and trying to calm her, he's been taking her everywhere and not giving either of them a moment to rest. He had put the TARDIS on random and felt her landing. Grinning he grabbed his long coat and put it on before grabbing Roses hand.

"Where are we?" Rose asked excitedly.

The Doctor threw open the doors and stepped out, followed closely by Rose. The Doctor started warbling on about the planet not noticing Roses reaction.

Rose threw a glare back at the TARDIS when she saw the flying dinosaurs.** "Don't be angry with her,"** Bad Wolf chided her.** "She's right, if you don't face it now it will always be the dark cloud hanging over you, no matter how far you run."**

The Doctor broke off as he realised that Rose wasn't next to him. Turning back he saw her face and realised something must be really wrong. "Rose what is it?"

Rose startled and turned back to the Doctor, noticing the concern in his eyes she walked up to him and took his hand as they stared out over a bay as the sun started setting. Rose ignored his question as she took in the beauty around her but conceded, the TARDIS was right they couldn't run forever.

The Doctor, instead of watching the scenery, kept his eye on Rose as he pulled a small box out of his pocket. "How long are you going to stay with me?" The Doctor asked.

Rose turned from the view to stare at the Doctor lovingly as she placed her arms around his waist and her head on his chest to listen to his double heartbeat. "Forever," Rose vowed as she closed her eyes and prayed to whoever would listen that she could change things. On reopening her eyes Rose gasped and pulled back from the Doctor when she noticed he was holding a small box.

The Doctor grew nervous as he held out the box for her. He watched as Rose gently took the box from him. On opening it Rose gasped again as she saw a gorgeous ring with a bright blue gem in the middle surrounded by silver metal worked in a complicated knot. The Doctor put his finger under Roses chin and slowly lifted her head until she was looking in his eyes. "Will you bond with me?"

Tears started falling down Roses cheeks at the look in the Doctors eyes. Rose was too choked up to talk so she just nodded her head as a grin burst out on the Doctors face. He swooped down and snogged her while still grinning. He pulled the ring out and placed it on Roses finger while explaining to her how special the ring is.

"It's a special ring," the Doctor explained. "The gem is very similar to a sapphire but the blue changes to different types of blue depending on what you like," Rose and the Doctor both looked at the stone as it changed from the bright blue it was before to a blue that looked suspiciously like the blue colour of the TARDIS. "And the metal knot that surrounds it is what Galifreyns called an eternity knot. See how it looks like two timelines twisted together," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose took a closer look and realised that it did indeed look like like that before what the Doctor said registered and she looked up at him sharply. "Galifryan's?" she questioned.

The Doctor stared at her lovingly. "It's one of the only things left from my home. The metal you won't find anywhere else in the universe for the simple fact that once it's placed on someone's finger it bonds to that person. You are the only one that can take it off, it will never fall off or get lost."

He wiped the tears off her face as he kissed her again before leading her back into the TARDIS. After the planet with flying dinosaurs the Doctor was going to take Rose to a pleasure planet he knew off. The TARDIS nudged him as Roses backpack appeared on the grating.

Rose sighed. "I think she's trying to tell me that I haven't been home in awhile," the TARDIS hummed in an affirmative. Grumbling something Rose is sure was something not nice about domestics and her mother the Doctor inputted co-ordinates for the Powell Estates. "Doctor," Rose called out. "You just proposed to me, that's as domestic as you could get," Rose reminded him.

"Yeah but Rooooose," the Doctor pouted. "Marrying you could never be thought of as domestic," the Doctor explained as he grabbed her around the waist.

The Doctor was about to kiss her as the TARDIS landed and threw them to the floor. Rose laughed at the Doctors pout as he helped her to her feet. Rose grabbed her backpack and the bazoolium and stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor stepped out behind her as he saw her pull off the ring and place it on the chain that holds her TARDIS key. At the Doctors look Rose grabbed his hand as they headed for her mothers flat. "I thought we might lead my mother into the news slowly," she explained as to why she took the ring off. "Especially considering the last time she thought we were shagging."

The Doctor placed his free hand on his cheek in remembered pain as he conceded that she may have a point. As Rose and the Doctor got closer to the flat Rose felt Bad Wolf stirring.** "Rose you must be extremely careful, the time lines are converging and someone else seems to be trying to mess with them. Everything must go exactly as before until the time when you almost fall into the void,"** Bad Wolf warned her.

Even though she knew what was coming it was still exciting to see her mother. "Mum, it's us," Rose yelled out as she opened the door. "We're back!"

Jackie came running out of the kitchen. "Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone," Jackie complained. "You never use it."

"Shut up," Rose grinned. "Come here," she pulled her mum into a hug.

"Oh," Jackie cried. "I love you."

"I love you so much!" Rose agreed as she noticed the Doctor trying to sneak past them.

Jackie suddenly broke from the hug and grabbed the Doctors jacket. "Oh, no, you don't. Come here!" The Doctor tried to talk himself out of receiving Jackie's attention when she grabbed his head and kissed him on the lips. "Oh, you lovely big fellow!" Jackie exclaimed as she hugged him. "Oh, your all mine!"

"Just . . .just put me down!" The Doctor insisted.

"Yes, you are!" Jackie exclaimed ignoring him as Rose looked on in amusement.

Jackie finally releases him as she moves back towards Rose leaving the Doctor to wipe his mouth furiously. Rose takes off her backpack and hands it to her mum. "I've got loads of washing for you," Rose grins at her before holding up the bazoolium. "And I got you this. It's from this market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of bazoolium. When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain. When it's hot, it's gonna be sunny. You can use it to tell the weather," Rose finished off excitedly, while trying to hide her worry.

Jackie didn't look as impressed as Rose thought she should. "I've got a surprise for you and all."

Rose sighed. "I get her a bazoolium, she doesn't even say thanks."

"Guess who's coming to visit?" Jackie ignores her complaining. "You're just in time. He'll be here at ten past. Who do you think it is?"

Rose shrugged though she knew what her mother was going to say. "I don't know."

"Oh, go on," Jackie urged her. "Guess."

"No, I hate guessing," Rose complained. "Just tell me."

Jackie paused dramatically. "It's your granddad, granddad Prentice. He's on his way any minute," Jackie ignored the worried look Rose was giving her. "Right. Cup of tea."

Rose watched as her mother bounced off back to the kitchen. She felt the Doctor walk up next to her and she grabbed his hand. "She's gone mad."

"Tell me something new," the Doctor quipped trying to lighten Roses mood.

"Granddad Prentice, that's her dad," Rose explained. "But he died like, 10 years ago. Mum," Rose called as she moved into the kitchen. "What you just said about granddad . . ."

"Any second now," Jackie interrupted.

"But he passed away," Rose gently reminded her. "His heart gave out. Do you remember that?"

Jackie nodded. "Of course I do."

Rose shrugged. "Then how can he come back?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie informs her as she looks at her watch. "Ten past, here he comes."

A shiver went through Rose as a ghost appeared through the wall and stood next to her mum. Rose felt the Doctors interest peak at seeing the ghost.

"Here we are, then," Jackie introduced. "Dad, say hello to Rose. Hasn't she grown?"

The Doctor takes off out the door and down the stairs followed by Rose as they reached the ground floor and looked around to see the ghosts everywhere. "They're everywhere," the Doctor commented.

"Doctor, look out," Rose called as she saw a ghost walking up to the Doctor. The Doctor turned around only to have a ghost walk through him. It felt like something familiar but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

It was then that Jackie decided to join them. "You haven't got long. Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."

"What do you mean, 'shift'?" The Doctor questioned. "Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?"

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie snarked.

The Doctor ignored her as he looked more and more confused. "No one's running or screaming or freaking out."

"Why should we?" Jackie asked him in confusion. "Here we go. Twelve minutes past."

The Doctor and Rose watched as the ghosts disappeared again. The Doctor reached for his bond with Rose.** "I don't have a good feeling about this,"** the Doctor sent through the bond.

**"I know what you mean,"** Rose agreed as she followed him and her mother back up to the flat.

Once they made it back inside Jackie turned on the TV to show them the news station dedicated to the 'ghosts'._ "On today's ghost watch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk, and there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster bridge, it's almost like a military display."_

"What the hell is going on?" The Doctor questioned as he changed the channel. A weather channel came on featuring more ghosts. _"And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts,"_ the weatherman pointed out._ "From London, through the north, and up into Scotland."_

He changes the channel again to a talk show. _"So basically, Eileen, what your telling me is that your in love with a ghost?" _The talk show host confirmed.

_"He's my ghost and I love him, 24/7,"_ Eileen replied while a ghost stood next to her.

He changed the channel again to a TV show. _"Well, no one needs me anymore,"_ the character commented.

Then he changed to a commercial._ "My ghost was pale and grey, until I discovered ectoshine!"_

The Doctor then changed to a French program to find ghosts walking around France. Then changed to an Indian news report which had ghosts there as well. Then changing to a Japanese channel to find the same thing. "It's all over the world," the Doctor commented.

The Doctor changed to Eastenders._ "Listen to me, Den Watts, I don't care if you have come back from the grave, get out of my pub!" _The character Peggy Mitchell yelled to a ghost._ "The only spirits I'm serving in this place are gin, whisky and vodka. So you heard me, get out!"_

The Doctor threw the remote on the coffee table as he turned to face Jackie. "When did it start?"

"Well, first of all," Jackie explained, thinking he's talking about the show. "Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down . . ."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "No, I mean worldwide."

"Oh!" Jackie realised. "That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning and there they were," Jackie shrugged like it was no big deal. "Ghosts everywhere. We all ran around screaming and that. Whole planet panicking. No sign of you," Jackie accused. "Thank you very much. Then it sort of sank in. Took us time to realise that we're lucky."

"What makes you think it's granddad?" Rose asked confused.

"It just feels like him," Jackie explained only confusing Rose more. "There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?"

Rose sighed again. "I wish I could, mum, but I can't," Rose replied gently.

"Well, you've got to make an effort," Jackie encouraged her. "You've got to want it, sweetheart."

"And the more you want it, the stronger it gets?" The Doctor explained.

"Sort of, yeah," Jackie agreed.

"Like a psychic link," the Doctor tried to work out. "Cause you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in."

Jackie's smile dimmed the more the Doctor talked until she had lost her smile completely. "You're spoiling it."

"I'm sorry, Jackie," the Doctor apologised. "But there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory."

"But if their not ghosts," Rose asked, resigned to the fact that she'll have to go through with this adventure. "What are they, then?"

"Yeah, but they're human," Jackie insisted still holding out hope. "You can see them. They look human."

Rose gently took her mums hand. "There are many species in the universe that are human looking, mum. They're all sort of blurred so they could be anything."

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed. "They're pressing themselves into the surface of the world, but a footprint doesn't look like a boot."

The Doctor ran back to the TARDIS to figure out what's happening while Rose decided to find out how deep the ghosts have gone. What she found did not inspire confidence and worse, she has to pretend that she doesn't know what's going on.

She enters the TARDIS as she declared. "According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds. Now don't tell me your gonna sit back and do nothing."

The Doctor pops up from under the grating suddenly. "Who you gonna call?"

"Ghostbusters!" Rose cried out, laughing.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts," the Doctor finished as he headed out the doors with a device on his back and something in his hand.

The Doctor places the device in his hand on the ground in a triangle from the other two like it. "When's the next shift?"

"Quarter too," Jackie informed him as she watched what he was doing. "But don't go causing trouble," Jackie warned him. "What's that lot do?"

"Triangulates their point of origin," the Doctor explained.

Rose eyed the device set in a triangle on the grass. "It's not like the gelth, is it?"

"Nah," the Doctor dismissed. "They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper."

"You're always doing this," Jackie complained. "Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? But just think of it, though. All the people we've lost, our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor finally paused to look at her. "I think it's horrific. Rose, give us a hand," the Doctor calls. Rose follows him as he leads a power cord back into the TARDIS with her mother following. "Soon as the cones activate, if that line goes into the red, press that button there," the Doctor instructed pointing to a blue button. "If it doesn't stop, setting 15B," he informed her as he handed her the sonic screwdriver. "Hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop."

"Fifteen B, eight seconds," Rose confirmed.

"If it goes into the blue," the Doctor continued. "Activate the deep scan on the left."

"Hang on a minute, I know," Rose points to a lever on the left. "It's that one?"

"Yeah!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Now, what have we got, two minutes to go?"

Jackie looks to her watch. "Yeah."

The Doctor rushes outside and powers up the cones with the device on his back while Rose tried to keep the line level. "What's the line doing?" The Doctor called back through the doors.

"It's alright," Rose yelled back. "It's holding!"

"You even look like him," Jackie pointed out suddenly.

"How do you mean?" Rose questioned uncomfortable with where her mum was going with this. "I suppose I do, yeah."

Her mum moves behind her. "You've changed so much," she continued.

"For the better," Rose insisted, knowing that she'd have to tell her mother eventually.

"I suppose," Jackie conceded.

Rose sighed. "Mum, I use to work in a shop."

"I've worked in shops," Jackie defended. "What's wrong with that?"

"It's complicated," Rose tried.

"What happens when I'm gone?" Jackie questions. "When I'm dead and buried, you won't have any reason to come back home. What happens then? Do you think you'll ever settle down?"

Jackie jumped as an image of Rose appeared next to her. **"Tell her quickly then I'll time lock her memories till after she's gone,"** Bad Wolf explained.

So with Bad Wolfs assurance Rose told her mother everything. What the ghosts really are, how the Doctor stops them, how she got trapped, how she was sent back to relive her experience to stop them from being separated and how she will live as long as the Doctor plus how she knows that her mum will have a very happy life. Once she was finished Bad Wolf locked her mums memories to only be released when she ends up in the other universe.

"And you'll keep changing," Jackie continued as though they never stopped. "And in 40 years time, 50, there'll be this woman, this strange woman, walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. But she's not Rose Tyler, not any more. She's not even human."

"Here we go," the Doctor yelled from outside knowing Rose was feeling uncomfortable and trying to point them back to the task at hand.

Rose turns back to check the scanner. "Scanners working! It says, Delta One Six!"

"Come on, then. You beauty!" The Doctor encouraged. The moment the ghost appeared it was trapped in a pyramid of electrical charges. The Doctor pulled out some 3D glasses and put them on, confirming what he suspected. He bent down to the control box and altered the frequency till he found where the signal is coming from. The Doctor started laughing. "Look at that!" He exclaimed. "Don't like that much, do you? Who are you? Where are you coming from? Whoa!" The Doctor jumps back as a surge of power runs through the currents. "That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?"

The ghost disappears suddenly and the electrical field stops. The Doctor grabs up his devices before running into the TARDIS. He takes off his long coat and drapes it over a coral strut. "I said so. Those ghosts are being forced into existence from one specific point, and I can track down the source. Allons-y!" The Doctor and Rose run around the console, inputting the dematerialisation sequence in as the TARDIS disappears from the Powell Estate.

"I like that, allons-y," the Doctor commented. "I should say allons-y more often. Allons-y! Look sharp Rose Tyler, allons-y! And then, it would be really brilliant if I meet someone called Alonso. Cause then I could say, Allons-y Alonso, every time. Your staring at me," the Doctor broke of suddenly at Roses amused look.

"My mums still on board," Rose whispered to him, remembering his reaction the last time her mum ended up in the TARDIS.

The Doctor slowly looks over to where Jackie was sitting as she warned. "If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you."

The Doctor could feel Roses amusement as the TARDIS landed. "Ooh, well," the Doctor commented as he checked the monitor. "There goes the advantage of surprise. Still, cuts to the chase. Stay in here," the Doctor told Rose. "Look after Jackie."

"I'm not looking after my mum," Rose complained.

"Well, you brought her," the Doctor countered.

"I was kidnapped," Jackie butted in.

Rose suddenly rushed in front of the doors. "Doctor, they've got guns."

"And I haven't," the Doctor explained gently. "Which makes me the better person, don't you think? They can shot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine." Rose grabbed the Doctors jacket and pulled him down for a quick snog before he slipped out the doors and closed them behind him.

"Hold it!" One soldier ordered. "Steady, lads, steady."

The Doctor walked outside and placed his hands in the air as the guns pointed at him were cocked. Rose and Jackie stood by the partially open doors to hear what was being said.

"Oh," a woman exclaimed as she came running into the room. "Oh, how marvellous!" She clapped. "Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day," the woman cheered as the soldiers around her started clapping too.

The Doctor slowly put his hands back down in confusion. "Um, thanks. Nice to met you. I'm the Doctor."

"Oh, I should say," the woman agreed. "Hooray!" They all clapped again.

"You've heard of me, then?" The Doctor questioned.

"Well of course we have," the woman scoffed. "And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be here. The Doctor and the TARDIS!"

The Doctors confusion only deepened when they started clapping again. Not just their strange behaviour but the intense hatred coming from Rose and directed towards this woman was distracting. "And . . . And . . . And you are?"

"Oh, plenty of time for that," the woman dismissed. "But according to the records, you're not one for travelling alone. The Doctor and his companion. That's the pattern, isn't it, right? There's no point hiding anything. Not from us. So where is she?"

The Doctor finally put his happy mask firmly in place that he shows everyone but one that Rose always seemed to see through. "Yes! Sorry, good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all," he explained as he reached in and pulled Jackie out. "But here she is, Rose Tyler! Hmm, she's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. Lot of that," he mimed talking. "And just last week, she stared into the heart of the time vortex and aged 57 years, but she'll do."

"I'm 40," Jackie protested.

"Deluded," the Doctor informed them. "Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good. I mean not bad. Well, I say not bad. Anyway, lead on! Allons-y!" He instructed them as the woman waved the soldiers away. "But not to fast. Her ankles going."

"I'll show you where my ankles going," Jackie threatened him as she followed.

Rose reached through their bond in amusement. **"You better watch it, Doctor. Or you might get another slap,"** Rose warned him as she rushed to the monitor and watched as they were lead away.

The woman lead them through the corridors. "It was only a matter of time until you found us. And at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor," the woman informed him. "Welcome to Torchwood," she introduced as she opened a pair of doors into a warehouse full of alien technology.

The Doctor looked around in stunned disbelief as he felt Rose letting him know that the TARDIS was being moved, at the same time he felt the TARDIS's annoyance at being manhandled. "That's a Jathaa Sun Glider," he pointed out.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands 10 years ago," the woman informed him.

"What, did it crash?" The Doctor questioned.

"No," the woman denied. "We shot it down. It violated our airspace, then we striped it bare. The weapon that destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day? That was us. Now, if you'd like to come with me," the woman gave them no choice as guards followed them. "The Torchwood institute has a motto. If it's alien, it's ours. Anything that comes from the sky, we strip it down and we use it, for the good of the British Empire."

The Doctors disgust and anger were rising with everything the woman said, and it didn't help when he felt Roses same feelings coming through the bond, so it was with relief that Jackie interrupted her. "For the good of the what?" Jackie questioned in confusion.

"The British Empire," the woman repeated.

"There isn't a British Empire," Jackie countered.

"Not yet," the woman agreed.

"Ah, excuse me," the woman apologised. "Now, if you wouldn't mind. Do you recognise this, Doctor?" The woman asked as she held up a very big gun type off device.

The Doctor knew exactly what it was. "That's a particle gun."

"Good, isn't it?" The woman questioned. "Took us eight years to get it to work."

"It's the 21st century," the Doctor pointed out. "You can't have particle guns."

"We must defend our border against the alien," the woman pointed out. "Thank you, Sebastian, isn't it?" The woman queried as she handed the particle gun back to a soldier.

Sebastian took the particle gun back of the woman. "Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, Sebastian," the woman grinned at him. "I think it's very important to know everyone but name. Torchwood is a very modern organisation. People skills. That's what it's all about these days. I'm a people person."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, she was entirely to happy. "Have you got anyone called Alonso?"

"I don't think so," the woman asked confused. "Is that important?"

The Doctor could almost see Rose rolling her eyes, the amusement from her apparent. At least he distracted her and himself from their anger, which increased after finding out they had been killing innocent alien's. "I suppose not. What was your name?"

"Yvonne," the woman, Yvonne replied. "Yvonne Hartman."

The Doctor walked over to an open crate nearby and picking up the device inside. They obviously don't know much about him if they're letting him wonder around and touch things.

"Ah, yes," Yvonne stated proudly. "We're rather fond of those. The magna-clamp, found in a spaceship, buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tons of weight with a single hand," Yvonne stated proudly. "That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric."

"I could do with that to carry the shopping," Jackie pointed out.

"All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit," Yvonne informed her. "Not the general publics."

"So what about these ghosts?" The Doctor asked, getting back to the reason he was there to begin with.

"Ah, yes, the ghosts," Yvonne agreed. "They're what you might call a side effect."

The Doctor watched her carefully. "Of what?"

"All in good time, Doctor," Yvonne replied. "There is an itinerary, trust me."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at that statement, trust her. The Doctor felt Rose and the TARDIS getting closer and knew that they have 'claimed' the TARDIS. Not that they'd be able to get in. That's when the TARDIS rolled passed on a small truck.

"Oi," Jackie protested. "Where are you taking that?"

"If it's alien, it's ours," Yvonne repeated.

"You'll never get inside it," the Doctor stated confidently.

Yvonne snickered. "Etcetera."

Rose opened the door a bit and saw the Doctor nod at her slightly as she felt the Doctor reach for their bond.** "See what you can find out,"** Rose sent her agreement back to him as she closed the doors. She thought about leaving the psychic paper behind but she may need it to open some doors.

Confident that Rose will do what she can to look around, the Doctor followed Jackie and Yvonne as they continued the tour. "All those times I've been on Earth, I've never heard of you."

"Well, of course not," Yvonne informed him. "You're the enemy. You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the crown."

"1879?" The Doctor thought back till Rose gave him a prod to remind him of the werewolf. "That was called Torchwood, that house in Scotland."

"That's right," Yvonne agreed. "Where you encountered Queen Victoria and the werewolf."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I think he makes half of it up."

"Her majesty created the Torchwood Institute," Yvonne informed her. "With the express intention of keeping Britain great and fighting the alien horde."

"But if I'm the enemy," the Doctor asked. "Does that mean I'm a prisoner?"

"Oh, yes," Yvonne agreed with a smile. "But we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us. Starting with this," Yvonne finishes as she opens a door to a room holding a sphere type object. "Now, what do you make of that?"

A techie that was monitoring the sphere nervously walked up to the Doctor. "You must be the Doctor. Rajesh Singh, it's an honour, sir."

"Yeah," the Doctor dismissed.

"What is that thing?" Jackie questioned Yvonne.

"We got no idea," Yvonne answered.

Jackie stared at it confused. "What's wrong with it."

The Doctor looks to Jackie before turning back to the sphere. "What makes you think there's something wrong with it?"

"I don't know," Jackie shrugged. "It just feels weird."

"The sphere has that effect on everyone," Yvonne informs them. "Makes you want to run and hide. Like it is forbidden."

"We've tried analysing it," Rajesh took over. "Using every device imaginable. But according to our instruments, the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing. It doesn't age. No heat, no radiation and has no atomic mass."

Jackie watches the Doctor as he puts on cheap 3D glasses to take a closer look at things. "I can see it," Jackie counters.

Rajesh laughs a little as he takes of his reading glasses. "Fascinating, isn't it? It upsets people because it gives off nothing. It is absent."

Yvonne had finally had enough of the Doctors silence. "Well Doctor?"

"This is a void ship," the Doctor finally responds.

"And what is that?" Yvonne questions.

The Doctor finally takes off the 3D glasses and looks back at them. "Well, it's impossible, for starters. I always thought it was just a theory but . . . It's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space. Travelling through the void," the Doctor informs them as he sits on the steps.

"And what's the void?" Rajesh asked.

"The space between dimensions," the Doctor continued. "There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes, all stacked up against each other. The void is the space in-between, containing absolutely nothing. Can you imagine that?" The Doctor asked them. "Nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down. No life. No time. Without end. My people called it the void, the Eternals called it the howling, but some people call it hell."

"But someone built the sphere," Rajesh pointed out. "What for? Why go there?"

The Doctor shrugged. "To explore. To escape. You could sit inside that thing and eternity would pass you by. Big Bang, end of the universe, start of the next, wouldn't even touch the sides. You'd exist outside the whole of creation."

"You see," Yvonne gloated. "We were right. There is something inside it."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor agreed seriously.

"So how do we get in there?" Rajesh inquired.

The Doctor looked at him like he was crazy. "We don't!" The Doctor replied angrily. "We send that thing back into hell! How did it get here in the first place?"

"Well that's how it started," Yvonne explained. "The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake."

"Show me," the Doctor ordered as he lead the way out of the room. He didn't even give them the chance to deny him.

Yvonne followed after him to try and stop him. "No Doctor."

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Rose checked the monitor before venturing outside the TARDIS. She could feel the TARDIS's worry and tried to assure her as well as sending the Doctor soothing thoughts to help him keep his anger in control.

Walking out the doors she spies some guards chatting as she tries to head around the other way to spot a pair of guards on patrol. Spying a lab coat on a table she swiped it and put it on before casually strolling past the guards and through the doors out of the warehouse.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

The Doctor followed his senses to the room at the top of the tower they were in, to the room where the sphere came through. Even though Yvonne tried to stop him, he knew she wasn't really trying, she wants him to know, she's proud of what she's accomplished.

Yvonne took the lead and showed them into a white room, then walked him up to a white wall. "The sphere came through here. A hole in the world. Not active at the moment," she informed him. "But when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breach opens up."

"How did you even find it?" The Doctor enquired as he examined the wall.

"We were getting warning signs for years," Yvonne explained. "A radar black spot. So we built this place, Torchwood Tower. The breach was 600 feet above sea level. It was the only way to reach it."

The Doctor put the 3D glasses back on. "You built a skyscraper just to reach a spatial disturbance? How much money have you got?"

"Enough," Yvonne dismissed.

The Doctor took off the glasses again and followed Yvonne into an office at the back of the room where Jackie was already waiting. It's only thanks to Rose that his anger hasn't taken over completely. If Rose wasn't here he might have already started destroying this place especially at their blasé view of harming other alien's. In 900 years of travel, she's been the only one that's been able to pull the storm back.

"Hold on a minute," Jackie interrupted the Doctors thoughts. "We're in Canary Wharf."

"Well, that is the public name for it," Yvonne agreed with a self-satisfied smirk. "But those in the know, it's Torchwood."

The Doctor interrupts them then. "So, you find the breach, probe it, the sphere comes through 600 feet above London, bam! It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality. And that hole, you think, oh shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Should we play it safe?" The Doctor continues. "Nah! You think, let's make it bigger!"

"It's a massive source of energy," Yvonne defends. "If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent. You can see for yourself, the next ghost shifts in two minutes."

"Cancel it," the Doctor suggests.

"I don't think so?" Yvonne denies.

The Doctor tries to reign in his anger at her blatant disregard for safety. "I'm warning you. Cancel it!"

"Oh," Yvonne cooed. "Exactly as the legends would have it. The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the rights of man."

"Let me show you!" The Doctor pointed out, moving behind a glass window pane. "Sphere come through," the Doctor explains as he points the sonic at the glass pane and cracks it. "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension, splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the void and into yours. With the human race hoping and wishing and helping them along. But too many ghosts and . . ." he touches the pane and it shatters.

Suddenly Yvonne doesn't look so confident. "Well, in that case, we'll have to be more careful. Positions," Yvonne called out. "Ghost shift in one minute."

The Doctor followed her. "Miss Hartman, I am asking you, please don't do it," the Doctor begged. He felt Rose soothing his anger and took a breathe to try and calm down.

"We have done this a thousand times," Yvonne defended.

"Then stop at a thousand!" The Doctor yelled.

"We're in control of the ghosts," Yvonne insisted. "The levers can open the breach, but equally they can close it."

The Doctor stares at her a moment as he realises how stubborn she is. "Okay," the Doctor agreed suddenly as he turned away.

"Sorry," Yvonne asked confused. Clearly she expected more of a fight.

"Never mind," the Doctor dismissed. "As you were," the Doctor pulls out a chair.

"What, is that it?" Yvonne complains.

The Doctor places the chair in front of Yvonne and sits down to watch. "No, fair enough. I've said my bit. Don't mind me. Any chance of a cup of tea?"

"Ghost shift in 20 seconds," a tech informs Yvonne.

"Mm," the Doctor agrees. "Can't wait to see it!"

Yvonne folded her arms. "You can't stop us, Doctor."

The Doctor shook his head. "No absolutely not. Pull up a chair, Rose. Come and watch the fireworks," Jackie moves to stand next to him to watch.

"Ghost shift in 10 seconds," the same tech informs them. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two . . ."

The Doctor stared down Yvonne until she conceded. "Stop the shift! I said, stop!" Yvonne ordered.

"Thank you," the Doctor thanked her.

"I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible," Yvonne conceded. "But the programme will commence as soon as you've explained everything."

"I'm glade to be of help," the Doctor stated sincerely.

Yvonne, obviously conceding enough, took charge again. "And someone clear up this glass. They did warn me, Doctor. They said you liked to make a mess."

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While the Doctor was dealing with Yvonne, Rose was making her way to the sphere room. What's annoying is that Bad Wolf has blocked a lot of her memories about this day. **"I had too, Rose,"** Bad Wolf informed her. **"It's hard enough changing the timeline, but one little misstep and everything could change."**

Rose sighed, it means letting a lot of people be hurt. Rose noticed another person in a lab coat enter a room that she's pretty sure leads to the sphere. Pulling out the psychic paper and scanning it to gain access to the room. The door opens and she walks forward to stand in front of the orb. She could feel the wrongness of it, it doesn't belong here.

"Can I help you?" Rajesh asks, breaking Rose out of her thoughts.

"I was just," Rose hesitated.

Rajesh understood. "Try not to look. It does that to everyone. What do you want?"

"Sorry," Rose apologised. "I would make up some excuse but really I'm just having a look. Don't work here or anything."

Rajesh hit a familiar looking ear pod. "Seal the room. Call security," he ordered. As the doors sealed themselves he turned to another tech in the room. "Samuel, can you check the door locks? She just walked right in."

Samuel turned to Rajesh and Rose had to hide her smile as she saw Mickey. "Doing it now, sir."

"Well, if you'd like to take a seat," Rajesh offered. Rose rolled her eyes as she casually sat down to wait.

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The Doctor had just finished explaining everything when he felt Rose reach for him.** "I'm in with the sphere object."**

**"Ok, stay there and let me know if anything happens,"** the Doctor informed her.

"So these ghosts," Yvonne questioned. "Whatever they are, did they build the sphere?"

The Doctor sat down and placed his feet on the desk as he replied. "Must have. Aimed it at this dimension like a cannonball."

The comms beeped then. "Yvonne, I think you should see this," Rajesh informed her. "We've got a visitor. Don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor."

Yvonne put the video feed on the laptop then turned it to face the Doctor. "She one of yours?"

The Doctor sighed. "Oh, all right then, it was worth a try. That's . . . That's Rose Tyler."

"Hello," Rose greets from the video feed.

"Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" Yvonne pointed out.

"He kidnapped me," Jackie insisted.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother."

"Charming," Jackie complained.

"I've got a reputation to uphold," the Doctor defended.

Yvonne suddenly noticed something and walked into the lever room. "Excuse me, everyone. I thought I said stop the ghost shift. Who started the program?" Yvonne questioned. "I ordered you to stop. Who's doing that?" Yvonne watched as the levers started to raise themselves. "Right, step away from your monitors, everyone! Gareth! Adil. Stop what your doing, right now!" Yvonne ordered. "Matt! Step away from your desk! That's an order! Stop the levers! Andrew! Stop the levers!"

The Doctor runs to a female tech. "What's she doing?"

"Adi, step away from the desk," Yvonne tried to order again. The Doctor clicked his fingers in front of her face and got no reaction. "Listen to me," Yvonne tried again. "Step away from the desk!"

"She can't hear you," the Doctor informed her. "They're overriding the system. We're going into the ghost shift."

The Doctor reached for his bond with Rose.** "Somethings going on so be prepared."**

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Rose knew it was starting when she received a warning from the Doctor. Rajesh started worrying too, when he saw the ghost shift program start. "Yvonne," Rajesh called through his earpiece. "I thought you said the next ghost shift was cancelled? What going on? Yvonne?"

A loud thud shook the room as a noise came from the sphere.

"It can't be," Rajesh denied as he ran towards the sphere. Rose and Mickey was right behind him as another thud shook the room. "It's active."

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"It's the earpiece controlling them," the Doctor realised. "I've seen this before. Sorry, I'm so sorry," the Doctor apologised as he used the sonic to shut off the ear-pods. All three techs screamed in unison before falling on their desks. But it doesn't stop the ghost shift.

"What happened?" Yvonne demanded. "What did you just do?"

"They're dead," the Doctor informed her.

"You killed them," Jackie accused.

After all they had been through and Jackie still thought he could just kill people. "Oh, someone else did that long before I got here," the Doctor insisted as he jumped on the computer to try and stop the ghost shift.

"But you killed them!" Jackie continued.

The Doctor sighed. "Jackie, I haven't got time for this!"

"What are those earpieces?" Yvonne queried as she moved to remove one.

"Don't," the Doctor warned.

"But they're standard comms devices. How does it control them?" Yvonne questioned.

"Trust me," the Doctor stated as he moved to another terminal. "Leave them alone."

Yvonne was still looking at the techs in confusion. "But what are they?" She finally yanks one out to find brain fluid dripping from long strands. "It goes inside their brain!" Yvonne exclaimed in disgust, dropping the device.

"What about the ghost shift?" The Doctor asked, getting everyone back on task.

Yvonne checked one of the computers. "90% and still running. Can't you stop it?"

"They're still controlling it," the Doctor informed her. "They've hijacked the system."

"Who's 'they'?" Yvonne finally asked.

The Doctor ignored her. "Might be a remote transmitter but it's got to be close by. I can trace it," the Doctor holds the sonic up before him as he slowly moved in a circle until the sonic beeped. "Jackie, stay here!" The Doctor ordered as he took off, tracing the signal.

"Keep those levers down!" Yvonne ordered as she followed the Doctor. "Keep them offline!"

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Rajesh was starting to panic when he couldn't get ahold of anyone. "We've got a problem down here. Yvonne can you hear me? Yvonne for gods sake, the sphere is active! The readings are going wild! It's got weight, it's got mass, an electromagnetic field," Rajesh explained. "It exists!"

Rose and Mickey turn as the doors seal themselves. "Mickey, what ever happens, do what I do," Rose warns him.

"Why, what's gonna happen?" Mickey questions.

"A wars about to happen on earth," Rose informed him. She's put off telling the Doctor what's happening, cause he seems to have enough problems with the ghost shift.

Rajesh meanwhile was still panicking. "The doors sealed! Automatic quarantine! We . . . We can't get out!"

"That's why I'm here," Mickey explains to Rose. "The fight goes on."

Rose looks at him in confusion. "How long have you been fighting the Cybermen?"

"About 2 years," Mickey replied as the sphere continued to shake the room.

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The Doctor was still following his sonic when he felt a spike of fear from Rose. Probing the bond he realised that Rose was hiding something from him. If she's in the room with the sphere it means that he may have two different things to deal with, make it three with Torchwood as well.

Yvonne stopped some soldiers that were passing by. "You two! You come with us, yeah."

"This way," one soldier calls as they both turn and follow after Yvonne.

The Doctors sonic points them to an area under construction. "What's down here?"

"What?" Yvonne questions. "I don't know. I think it's building work. It's just renovations."

"You should go back," the Doctor suggested.

Yvonne rolled her eyes. "Think again," Yvonne followed the Doctor through the construction site until he stopped in a clear space. "What is it? What's down here?"

Earpieces, ear pods . . ." The Doctor worked out. "This world is colliding with another. And I think I know which one."

Their surrounded suddenly by Cybermen. "What are they?" Yvonne asks.

"They came through first," the Doctor informed her. "The advanced guard. Cybermen."

The Doctor urges Yvonne back as the soldiers fired on them but there was a Cyberman behind them as well.

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The sphere was still shaking the room as Rose and Mickey tried to stay on their feet. "We had them beaten," Mickey explained once Rose got over her initial shock that he's been gone a few years when it's only been a few months for her. "But then they escaped. The Cybermen vanished. They found a way through to this world, but so did we."

"The walls between universes is breaking down," Rose commented.

Mickey grinned. "And the Doctor said it was impossible, but it's not the first time he's been wrong."

"Do you know what's in the sphere?" Rose questions.

"No one knows," Mickey answers. "Cyber leader, cyber King, Emperor of the Cybermen. Whatever it is, he's dead meat."

Rose grinned softly. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah," Mickey agrees. "It's good to see you, too."

"I will tell you this, though," Rose informed him. "What's in there are not related to the Cybermen."

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The Doctor and Yvonne were taken prisoners as the soldiers were killed. Their hands were placed on their heads as they were marched back up to the lever room.

"Get away from the machines!" The Doctor ordered. "Do what they say? Don't fight them!"

The Cybermen opened fire on the techs in the room anyway as Jackie moved next to the Doctor. "What are they?" Jackie asks fearfully.

"We are the Cybermen," the leader answered her. "The ghost shift will be increased to 100%," he reactivated the ghost shift and the levers started rising.

"Here come the ghosts," the Doctor stated as the ghosts reappeared.

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"Can anyone hear me?" Rajesh yells through the comm. "Come on, I need help down here! I need . . ."

A grinding noise was edited from the sphere before the largest thud yet happens. Mickey takes of his lab coat and earpiece. "Here we go."

The sphere starts opening up as the three of them watch on.

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"But these Cybermen," Jackie continued to question the Doctor. "What have they got to do with the ghosts?"

"Don't you ever listen?" The Doctor complained. "A footprint doesn't look like a boot."

"Achieving full transfer," the cyber leader informed them.

The Doctor lowered his hands from his eyes. "Their Cybermen, all of the ghosts are Cybermen. Millions of them, right across the world."

"They're invading the whole planet," Yvonne realised.

"It's not an invasion," the Doctor denied. "It's too late for that. It's a victory."

They finally noticed the terminal beeping when a computer voice announced._ "Sphere activated. Sphere activated."_

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Mickey turned to look at Rose. "You know what's in that thing?" Mickey asked as he ran to the platform and removed a gun hidden there.

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "And I don't know if that gun will be enough."

Mickey pointed the gun at the sphere. "Yeah, well. This may still blast them to hell."

Rajesh was watching them in confusion. "Samuel, what are you doing?"

"The names Mickey," Mickey informed him. "Mickey Smith. Defending the Earth."

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Now the Doctor was confused, if they are from the other parallel universe then they don't have the technology to create a void ship. "I don't understand," the Doctor asked. "The Cybermen don't have the technology to build a void ship. That's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"

"The sphere is not ours," the cyber leader informed them.

"What?" The Doctor questioned.

"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds," the Cyberman explained. "We only followed, its origin is unknown."

The Doctors horror was mounting when he realised that Rose was still in with the sphere. "Then what's inside it?"

"Rose is down there!" Jackie pointed out unhelpfully.

The sphere opens fully and out fly four Daleks. "Location, Earth," the lead Dalek called. "Life forms, detected. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"


	24. War comes to earth

"Daleks!" Rose yelled to get their attention. "You're called Daleks! I know your name. Think about it," Rose insisted as she removed the lab coat. "How can I know that? A human who knows about the Daleks, and the Time War. If you want to know how, then keep us alive. That's all I'm asking, me and my friends," Rose negotiated.

"Yeah, Daleks!" Mickey agreed. "Time War, me too."

"Yeah, and me," Rajesh concurred.

The head Dalek looked at each of them before turning back to Rose. "You will be necessary," before turning to another Dalek. "Report! What is the status of the Genesis Ark?"

"Status, hibernation," the Dalek responded.

"Commence awakening," the head Dalek ordered.

Another Dalek responded. "The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else."

Mickey looked to Rose. "The Daleks? You said they were all dead."

"Never mind that," Rose dismissed. "We need to watch out for that Genesis Ark?"

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The Doctor was now extremely worried, he can't reach Rose through their bond. The fact that the sphere doesn't belong to the Cybermen means it could be anything in there. Add in Jackie and now he's really struggling not to panic.

"What's down there?" Jackie asked him. "She was in that room, with the sphere. What's happened to Rose?"

The Doctor knows that Jackie's just worried about Rose but he's already worried enough, he doesn't need Jackie's as well. "I don't know," he snapped at her. He instantly feels guilty when Jackie starts crying. "I'll find her," the Doctor promised. "I brought you here. I'll get you both out, you and your daughter. Jackie, look at me," the Doctor insisted. "Look at me!" He waited until Jackie looked at him. "I promise you. I give you my word."

The Doctors attention was caught when the head Cyberman walked up to Yvonne. "You will talk to your Central World Authority and order global surrender."

"Oh, do some research," Yvonne snapped. "We haven't got a Central World Authority."

"You have now," the leader responded. "I will speak on all global wavelengths," the cyber leader declared as the broadcast went out. "This broadcast is for humankind, the Cybermen now occupy every landmass on this planet. But you need not fear, Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and colour and creed. You will be identical. You will become like us."

The Doctor, Jackie and Yvonne watched out the window as chaos reigned across the city.

"I ordered surrender," the Cyber leader stated.

The Doctors frustration boiled over. "They're not taking instructions. Don't you understand? You're on every street! You're in their homes! You've got their children! Of course their going to fight!" The Doctor explained.

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The Daleks lined Rose, Mickey and Rajesh up against the back wall. "Which of you is least important?" The head Dalek asked.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Rose questioned.

"Which of you is least important?" The head Dalek repeated.

Rose shook her head at them. "No, we don't work like that. None of us."

"Designate the least important," the head Dalek demanded.

"This is my responsibility," Rajesh pointed out.

Rose looked at Rajesh, shocked. "No, don't . . ."

Rajesh shakes off Roses hand and steps in front of the head Dalek. "I, er . . . I represent the Torchwood Institute. Anything you need, you come through me. Leave these two alone."

"You will kneel," the head Dalek ordered.

"What for?" Rajesh questioned.

"Kneel!" The head Dalek repeated. The Daleks waited till he knelt. "The Daleks need information about current Earth history."

Rajesh agreed. "Yeah, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence, but nothing that will compromise homeland security . . ."

"Speech is not necessary," a Dalek informed him. "We will extract brainwaves," the Daleks plungers advanced towards his head.

"Don't," Rajesh pleaded. "I'll tell you everything you need. No, don't."

The pluggers covered his head as they extracted the information they needed. Rose stopped Mickey as he moved to help in some way. "You can't," Rose whispered. "Trust me, they will kill you."

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"Scans detect unknown technology active within sphere chamber," the Cyber leader informed them. "Cybermen will investigate. Units 10-6-5 and 10-6-6 will investigate sphere chamber."

The Daleks released Rajesh's body and he fell to the ground. "His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth," the head Dalek informed them. "Infected by the superstition of ghosts."

"You didn't need to kill him!" Rose yelled to them.

"Neither did we need him alive!" The head Dalek informed them emotionless. "Dalek Thay, investigate outside."

"I obey," Dalek Thay responded as he left the room.

The Cyber leader ordered. "Units, open visual link."

"Establish visual contact," the head Dalek ordered. "Lower communications barrier," a screen appeared where the sphere use to be.

The Doctors worry reached a whole new level when a Dalek appeared on the screen. "Identify yourself," the Dalek demanded.

"You will identify first," the Cyberman commanded.

"State your identity!" The Dalek demanded.

The Cyberman continued to command. "You will identify first."

"Identify!" The Dalek repeated.

Mickey leans into Rose. "It's like Stephen Hawking meets the speaking clock."

". . .and illogical, you will modify," the Cyberman finished.

"Daleks do not take orders," Dalek Thay stated.

"You have identified as Daleks," the Cyberman responded.

Dalek Thay informs them. "Outline resembles the inferior species known as Cybermen."

"Rose said about the Daleks," Jackie questioned the Doctor. "She was terrified of them. What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead?"

The Doctor turns to her quickly and whispers. "Phone." Since he couldn't seem to reach Rose through their bond he's gonna have to do it the old fashioned way.

"What?" Jackie questions completely thrown of guard.

"Phone," the Doctor insisted. While the Daleks and Cybermen were arguing the Doctor grabbed Jackie's phone and called Rose.

Rose was startled out of watching the Daleks and Cybermen arguing by her phone ringing. Rose answered her phone but left it by her side. She wonders why the Doctor didn't contact her through their bond but when she reached for the bond it was very faint.

**"Sorry Rose,"** Bad Wolf apologised.** "Your emotions were all over the place, I couldn't risk the Doctor picking up on anything."**

"She's answered," the Doctor assured Jackie. "She's alive. But why haven't they killed her?"

"Well, don't complain," Jackie reminded him.

The Doctor ignored her, he was still worried that he couldn't contact her through their bond. "They must need her for something."

"We must protect the Genesis Ark," the Daleks insisted.

"Genesis Ark?" The Doctor questioned.

The Cybermen were still negotiating with the Daleks. "Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant."

"Daleks have no concept of elegance," the Daleks informed them.

"This is obvious," the Cyberman replied in what might have been a cheeky insult. "But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks, together we could upgrade the universe."

"You propose an alliance?" Dalek Thay questioned.

While the Cybermen and Daleks were talking, the Doctor had put on the 3D glasses again while keeping the phone up to his ear. It was the only link he had with Rose at the moment.

"This is correct," the Cyberman agreed.

"Request denied," Dalek Thay refused.

The Cybermen pointed their guns at Dalek Thay. "Hostile elements will be deleted," the Cybermen fired on the Dalek but hit the Daleks shield.

"Exterminate," Dalek Thay cried as he fired on the Cybermen and killed them.

Because of the Cyberman's deaths the visual link disappeared. "Open visual link," the Cyber leader ordered as a link was opened directly to the Daleks. "Daleks, be warned. You have declared war on the Cybermen."

"This is not war," the head Dalek denied. "This is pest control."

"We have five million Cybermen," the Cyber leader stated. "How many are you?"

"Four," the head Dalek informed.

"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks," the Cyber leader stated in disbelief.

The head Dalek denied. "We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect."

"What is that?" The Cyber leader questioned.

"You are better at dying," the head Dalek stated. "Raise communications barrier," the head Dalek ordered. "Wait," he stopped as he saw something in the background.

The Doctor turned the phone off. "Lost her," he informed Jackie as he shut off the phone and handed it back to her.

"Rewind image by nine rels," a Dalek ordered. "Identify grid seven gamma flame," he ordered. "This male registers as enemy."

The head Dalek turned to Rose suddenly. "The females heartbeat has increased."

"Yeah," Mickey smirked. "Tell me about it."

"Identify him," the Dalek ordered.

Roses eyes took on a light gold sheen as Bad Wolf got ready to protect Rose if necessary. "All right, then," Rose agreed. "If you really want to know. That's the Doctor," Rose grinned as the Daleks moved back slightly in shock. "Five million Cybermen, easy," Rose taunted. "One Doctor? Now your scared."

"Quarantine the sphere chamber," the Cyber leader ordered. "Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personal," the Cyber leader ordered as the Cybermen rounded up all the staff plus Yvonne and Jackie.

"No, you can't do this!" Yvonne cried as she was lead away. "We've surrendered! We've surrendered!"

The Cyber leader pointed to the Doctor. "Keep this one. His increased adrenalin suggests that he has vital Dalek information."

"Stop them!" Jackie cried to the Doctor. "I don't want to go! Doctor!" She screamed as she was dragged off.

The Doctor stood up to the Cyber leader. "I demand you leave that woman alone."

"You promised me," Jackie reminded him. "You gave me your word."

"I won't help you unless you leave that woman alone," the Doctor threatened as the Cybermen held him back. "Jackie, don't fight them . . ."

"Cyber threat irrelevant," Dalek Thay dismissed. "Concentrate on the Genesis Ark."

Rose and Mickey were herded behind the Genesis Ark and further away from the door. "Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey questioned.

"They need us," Rose replied.

"What?" Mickey asked confused. "What is it?"

The Doctor perched himself on the windowsill as he watched the chaos happening out on the streets below. He can still feel that Rose is still alive but he can't contact her at all. He promised Jackie that she'd be alright and now she's been lead away to be converted.

It was as these thoughts were going around the Doctors head that the Cyber leader approached him. "You are proof."

"Of what?" The Doctor questioned.

"That emotions destroy you," the Cyber leader stated.

"Yeah, I am," the Doctor agreed. "Mind you, I quite like hope. Hopes a good emotion," the Doctor continues as he notices something happening in the lever room. "And here it comes."

5 people in black suits and masks appear suddenly in the middle of the lever room. The moment they appear, they fire at the Cybermen till their heads exploded. The obvious leader lowers his weapon and he straightens up. "Doctor, good to see you again," he states as he takes off his mask.

The Doctor stared at him, shocked. "Jake?" The Doctor questioned.

"The Cybermen came through from one world to another," Jake explained. "And so did we," Jake turned back to his team. "Defend this room. Chrissie, monitor communications," Jake ordered. "Kill one Cyber leader and they just download into another. Move!"

The Doctor put the 3D glasses back on to check them out as an idea came to him. He took the glasses off again to talk to Jake. "You can't just hop from one world to another. You can't," the Doctor denied.

"We just did," Jake countered. "With these," he informed the Doctor as he threw a big yellow button at him.

"But that's impossible," the Doctor denied. "You can't have this sort of technology."

Jake rolled his eyes. "We've got our own version of Torchwood, they developed it," Jake explained. "Do you wanna come and see?"

"No!" The Doctor yelled as Jake pushed the yellow button and the Doctor was transported from one universe to another. They arrived in a room that would've looked exactly like the one they left except there was wires and damaged devices lying all over the place.

"Parallel Earth," Jake informed him. "Parallel Torchwood. Except we found out what the Institute was doing and the people's republic took control."

As great as this was, he had a desperate need to get back. "I've got to get back, Rose is in danger, and her mother."

Pete walks into the room then. "That would be Jackie, my wife in a parallel universe," Pete stated. "And as for you, Doctor. At least this time, I know who you are."

"Right, yes, fine, hooray," the Doctor cheered as he ran to Pete. "But I've got to get back, right now."

"No," Pete denied. "You're not in charge here. This is our world, not yours, and your going to listen for once," Pete ordered.

Rose was wondering what was taking the Doctor so long when she felt a stretching sensation through the bond. Realising that Jake has shown up and taken the Doctor back to the parallel Earth. It was then that Mickey held up a dimension jumper."I could transport out of here, but it only carries one," Mickey informed her. "And I'm not leaving you."

"Follow me anywhere," Rose stated as she shook her head. "What did I do to you all those years ago?"

"Guess I'm just stupid," Mickey shrugged.

Rose grabbed his hand. "You're the bravest man I met," Rose assures him.

"What about the Doctor?" Mickey questioned with a grin.

"Oh, all right," Rose agreed. "Bravest human."

Mickey laughed softly. "Well, I can't think what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothing to them."

Rose looks to the Genesis Ark. "You are as well. What's inside that ark, it's waking up and I've seen this happen before," Rose explained. "First time I saw a Dalek, it was broken. It was dying, but I touched it, and the moment I did that, I brought it back to life. The Doctor explained, when you travel in time, in the TARDIS, you soak up all this background radiation. It's harmless," Rose assured Mickey leaving out the fact that it was only explained to her the first time around. "It's just there, but in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply."

Mickey grinned at her. "I love it when you talk technical."

"Shut up," Rose scolds though she's smiling when she says it. She turns serious then. "There are other Daleks inside that thing and they need waking up."

"They need you," Mickey points out.

"You've travelled in time," Rose reminded him. "Either one of us would do."

Now Mickey looks confused. "But why would they build something they can't open themselves?"

"The technology is stolen," the head Dalek interrupts. "The Ark is not of Dalek design."

"You stole it from the Time Lords," Rose agreed.

The head Dalek watched her carefully. "This is all that survives of their home world."

"It's a prison for Daleks," Rose confirmed.

"The Daleks future is inside," the head Dalek informed them.

The Doctor was still stuck in the parallel world examining the wall where the rift was located. That and his bond with Rose and the TARDIS felt stronger near the rift. Pete walked up beside him. "When you left this world, you warned us there'd be more Cybermen. So we sealed them inside the factories," Pete explained.

"Except people argued," Jake took over. "Said they were living, we should help them."

"And the debate went on," Pete continued. "But all that time the Cybermen made plans, Infiltrated this version of Torchwood. Mapped themselves onto your world and then vanished."

"When was this?" The Doctor questioned.

"Three years ago," Pete answered.

The Doctor started pacing the length of the room. "It's taken them three years to cross the void, but we can pop to and fro in a second. Must be the sheer mass of 5 million Cybermen crossing all at once."

"Yeah," Pete agreed. "Mickey said you'd rattle off that sort of stuff."

"Where is the Mickey boy?" The Doctor enquired.

"He went ahead first," Pete explained. "Any chance to go and find Miss Rose Tyler."

The Doctor watched him carefully. "She's your daughter. You do know that? Did Mickey explain?"

"She's not mine," Pete denied. "She's the child of a dead man. Look at it, a world at peace," Pete changed the subject. "We're calling this the Golden Age."

"Who's the president now?" The Doctor questioned.

"A woman called Harriet Jones," Pete informed him.

"I'd keep an eye on her," the Doctor warned him.

Pete then decided to brake the news to him. "But it's a lie," at the Doctors curious look he continued. "Temperatures have risen by two degrees in the past six months. The ice caps are melting, they're saying all of this is gonna be flooded," Pete finished before asking. "That not just global warming, is it?"

"No," the Doctor agreed.

"It's the breach," Pete confirmed his own suspicions.

The Doctor finally explained. "I've been trying to tell you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. Then the Daleks break down the walls with the sphere."

Pete shakes his head in confusion. "Daleks?"

"Then the Cybermen travelled across," the Doctor continued, ignoring Pete. "Then you lot, those discs, every time you jump from one reality to another, you rip a hole in the universe. This planet is starting to boil!" The Doctor was on a roll now. "Keep going and both worlds will fall into the void."

"But you can stop it?" Pete pointed out. "The famous Doctor. You can seal the breach."

"Leaving five million Cybermen stranded in my Earth," the Doctor stated.

Pete watched the Doctor carefully. "That's your problem. I'm protecting this world and this world only."

The Doctor grinned suddenly as he realised that he really can't be Roses dad 'cause Rose would never sacrifice one world for another. "Pete Tyler, I knew you when you were dead. Now here you are, fighting the fight. Alone, there is a chance, back on my world," the Doctor hinted. "Jackie Tyler might still be alive."

"My wife died," Pete stated.

The Doctor shrugged. "Her husband died, good match."

"There's more important things at stake," Pete insisted. "Doctor, help us."

"What?" The Doctor questioned. "Close the breach? Stop the Cybermen? Defeat the Daleks? Do you believe I can do that?"

Pete grinned at him. "Yes."

"Maybe that's all I need," the Doctor thought out loud before grinning suddenly. "Off we go, then," the Doctor threw a yellow button at him and pushed his button, not giving Pete time to react as he, Jake and Pete were transported to the Doctors universe. "First of all, I need to make a phone call," the Doctor informed them. "You don't mind?"

"You two," Jake ordered. "Guard the door."

The Doctor ran to the office and using the phone, called Jackie. "Oh, my god," Jackie exclaimed on answering. "Help me."

"Jackie, your alive," the Doctor greeted.

Jackie didn't give him a chance to say anything else. "They tried to download me but I ran away."

The Doctor finally got a word in when she took a breath. "Listen, tell me, where are you?"

"I don't know," she snapped. "Staircase."

"Yeah, which one?" The Doctor insisted. "Is there any sort of sign, anything to identify it?"

"Yes," Jackie agreed. "A fire extinguisher."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that helps."

"Oh, wait a minute," Jackie realised. "Oh, wait a minute, it says N3."

"North corridor, staircase 3," the Doctor confirmed. "Just keep low, we're trying our best."

"Oh, don't leave me," Jackie pleaded.

The Doctor apologised. "I've got to go, I'm sorry," the Doctor hung up on her and turned to face Pete. "Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler."

"She's not my wife," Pete insisted again though he sounded unsure.

"I was at the wedding," The Doctor continued. "You got her name wrong," the Doctor left Pete to think about what he said. "Now, Jakey-boy. If I could open the bonding chamber on this thing," he explains as he takes Jakes gun of him. "It could work on polycarbide."

"What's polycarbide?" Jake questions.

"The skin of a Dalek," the Doctor informed him. The Doctor decided that on the way down to Jackie at the bottom he can collect Rose and turn the Daleks and Cybermen on each other. He interrupted a group of Cybermen near the sphere chamber, he created a white flag and waved it around the corner before turning said corner himself to face the Cybermen. "Sorry," the Doctor apologised. "No white flag, only had a sheet of A4. Same difference."

The Cybermen pointed their guns at him. "Do you surrender?"

"I surrender, unto you . . ." The Doctor agreed as he stood face to face with a Cyberman. "A very good idea."

"Final stage of awakening!" Dalek Thay informed them.

The head Dalek then turned to Rose and Mickey. "Your handprint will open the ark."

Rose glared at them. "Well tough, 'cause I'm not doing it."

"Obey," the head Dalek ordered. "Or the male will die."

"I can't let them . . ." Rose explained to Mickey.

"Rose, don't," Mickey urged.

The head Dalek repeated his order. "Place your hand on the casket."

"All right!" Rose snapped. "But your gonna kill us anyway, so what the hell," Rose turned to look at the head Dalek. "If you escaped the Time War, don't you want to know what happened?"

"Place your hand . . ." The Dalek started to repeat.

"What happened to the Emperor?" Rose interrupted.

The head Dalek seemed taken aback by what she said. "The Emperor survived?"

"Until he met me," Rose agreed as the gold in her eyes brightened a little, so the head Dalek saw. "Cause if these are gonna be my last words, then your gonna listen. I met the Emperor," Rose informed them. "And I Took the Time Vortex and poured it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The God of all Daleks and I destroyed him," Rose laughed right in front of the head Dalek.

"You will be exterminated!" The head Dalek declared as Rose turned and saw the Doctor in the doorway and wearing cheap 3D glasses. "Wait a minute . . ."

The Daleks all turned to watch him. "Alert, alert," the head Dalek cried. "You are the Doctor, sensors report he is unarmed."

"That's me," the Doctor agreed as he returned Roses grin. "Always."

"Then you are powerless," the head Dalek stated.

Rose had to hide her smirk at that statement. That's the biggest mistake everyone makes with the Doctor, Rose knows though that the Doctor is never powerless. The Doctor returned her amused look before addressing the Daleks. "Not me. Never," the Doctor denies before taking of the 3D glasses and turns back to Rose. "How are you?"

"Oh, same old, you know," Rose dismissed with a grin as she tried to send reassurance through the bond.

She saw the Doctor relax slightly, something no one else would notice. "Good," the Doctor agreed. "And Micketty-Mick-Mickey, nice to see you."

"And you, boss," Mickey agreed as he greeted the Doctor with a fist bump.

"Social interaction will cease," Dalek Thay ordered.

"How did you survive the Time War?" The head Dalek queried.

"By fighting," the Doctor informed them. What was surprising was the pain that was significantly less than what it had been before he met his precious pink and yellow human. "On the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Some day, I might even come to terms with that. But you lot ran away," the Doctor accused.

"We had to survive," the head Dalek defended.

"The last four Daleks in existence," the Doctor questioned. "So, what's so special about you?"

Rose nudged the bond to get the Doctors attention. "Doctor, they've got names. I mean, the other Daleks never had names, did they? But one of them said . . ."

"I am Dalek Thay," one Dalek interrupted.

"I am Dalek Sec," the head Dalek introduced.

"Dalek Jast," the third Dalek pointed out.

Then the last Dalek. "Dalek Caan."

The Doctor realised who they are. "So that's it, at last. The Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend. A secret order, above and beyond the Emperor himself," the Doctor informed Rose and Mickey. "Their job was to imagine, think as the enemy thinks. Even dare to have names all to find new ways of killing."

"But that thing," Mickey pointed out. "They said it was yours. I mean Time Lords, they built it."

"Never seen it before," the Doctor stated. "Both sides had secrets. What is it, what have you done?"

"Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy," Dalek Sec gloated.

The Doctor shook his head. "What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?"

"They said one touch from a time traveller will wake it up," Rose informed him.

"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do," the Doctor realised. "Touch. Sealed inside your casing, not feeling anything, ever. From birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage, completely alone," the Doctor taunted. "That explains your voice. No wonder you scream."

"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Dalek Sec ordered.

The Doctor starts chuckling at that. "The Doctor will not."

"You have no way of resisting," Dalek Sec reminds him.

"Well, you got me there," the Doctor conceded. "Although . . .there is always this," the Doctor states as he pulls out his sonic screwdriver.

"A sonic probe?" Dalek Sec questioned.

"That's screwdriver," the Doctor corrected.

Dalek Sec stated. "It's harmless."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor agreed. "Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim, but I'll tell you what it does do," the Doctor told them. "It is very good at opening doors," the Doctor finished as he pushed the button and the doors blew open and in stepped Jake followed by Cybermen.

"Terminate," a Cyberman ordered. "Terminate."

Jake fired on a Dalek. "Alert. Casing impaired, casing impaired," the Dalek called.

"Rose, get out," the Doctor called.

"Fire power insufficient," a Dalek cried. "Firepower insufficient."

Pete ran over and helped Rose. "Come on," he called as he helped her out of the room.

"Daleks will be deleted," a Cyberman called. "Delete, delete."

Mickey dove for another gun and started firing on the Daleks as the Doctor made it through the doorway. "Mickey, come on," Rose called out.

"Adapt to weaponry," a Dalek cried.

"Firepower restored," another Dalek cried as they started killing the Cybermen.

Mickey was in the middle of the shooting when he ducked from a shot and touched the Genesis Ark. Mickey then saw an opening and took it, running past the Cybermen and out the door.

"Cybermen, primary target," Dalek Sec ordered.

As soon as all the humans were out, the Doctor used the sonic to seal the doors. "Jake, protect the stairwell," the Doctor ordered. "The rest of you, come on."

The Doctor, Rose, Mickey and Pete ran down the corridors as Mickey apologised. "I just fell, I didn't mean it."

"Mickey without us, they'd have opened it by force," the Doctor assured him. "And to do that, they'd have blown up the sun, so you've done us a favour. Now, run," the Doctor ordered.

At the end of the corridor they found two Cybermen with their backs to them. Pete didn't hesitate as he lifted his gun and shot them. Rose grinned a little as she watched her mum and parallel dad met. She linked her fingers with the Doctors as she leaned her head on his arm. Discreetly she put her hand in his pocket and slipped the yellow disc out and into her own pocket.

"Pete?" Jackie questioned.

"Hello, Jacks," Pete greeted.

It was then that the fear Jackie had been feeling snapped. "I said there were ghosts. But that's not fair," Jackie complained. "Why him?"

"I'm not a ghost," Pete denied.

"But your dead," Jackie insisted. "You died twenty years ago, Pete."

The Doctor stepped forward then. "It's Pete from a different universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where . . ."

"Oh, you can shut up," Jackie interrupted. "You look old," Jackie directed at Pete.

"You don't," Pete commented.

Jackie sighed. "How can you be standing there?"

"Just got lucky," Pete replied. "Lived my life. But you were left on your own, you didn't marry or . . .?"

"There was never anyone else," Jackie informed him. "Twenty years, though. Look at me, I never left the flat. Did nothing with myself."

Pete gestured to Rose. "You brought her up, Rose Tyler. That's not bad."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed.

"In my world, it worked," Pete informed her. "All those daft little plans of mine, it worked. Made me rich."

Jackie dismissed. "I don't care about that," before changing her mind. "How rich?"

"Very," Pete informed her.

"I don't care about that," Jackie dismissed again. "How very?"

Pete laughed softly before turning serious. "Thing is though, Jacks, your not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean we both . . . You know, it's just sort of . . ." Pete breaks off again before exclaiming. "Oh, come here," he cries as he runs to her and pulls her into a hug.

Rose tried not to cry as she watched the reunion between her mother and parallel dad. It was then that the Doctor reminded them that they needed to get moving. The Doctor lead them to the warehouse where a battle between the Daleks and Cybermen was in progress.

Rose kept the door open as the Doctor ran over to a crate and removed the magna clamps. "Come on, please," Rose pleaded quietly as the Doctor made it back over to them. Rose quickly closed the doors behind the Doctor. The Doctor put the 3D glasses back on and opened the doors quickly as he watched the Daleks open the roof and levitate out with the Genesis Ark.

"Time Lord science," the Doctor commented as he wondered what they were talking about. "What Time Lord science, what is it?" The Doctor took off the 3D glasses and retreated back to the corridor. "We've got to see what it's doing, we've got to go back up," the Doctor informed them. "Come on, all of you. Top floor!"

Rose tried to tell him but he took off before she could and Bad Wolf was still stopping them from communicating through their bond. Then Jackie complained. "That's 45 floors up. Believe me, I've done them all."

Jake pops out behind them then. "We could always take the lift."

The Doctors impatience grew as the lift took its time, then he felt Roses hand in his and the restless energy within him settled. The lift finally made it to the top floor, as he ran out of the lift, he put the magna clamps on the table and ran to the window to see what the Daleks were up to. He watched as the geniuses ark spun around as it spat out Dalek after Dalek.

"Time Lord science," the Doctor stated. "It's bigger on the inside."

"The Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Mickey asked. "What for?"

The Doctor tried to control his panic. "It's a prison ship."

Rose grabs the Doctors hand and squeezed it as she sent her support through their bond. "I take it, there's a lot of Daleks in there?"

"Millions," the Doctor informed them. They watched as the Daleks spread out all over London and started firing on all living beings while the Cybermen fired back.

Pete moved away from the window. "I'm sorry, but you've had it," Pete apologised. "This worlds going to crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home," Pete took a spare yellow disc off on of his soldiers. "Jacks, take this," he throws to her. "You're coming with us."

"But they're destroying the city," Jackie argued.

Pete chuckled. "Oh, I'd forgotten you could argue. It's not just London, it's the whole world," Pete explained as he put the button over her head. "But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks, and it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?" Pete questioned.

The Doctor turns around from staring out the window with the 3D glasses on with a huge grin. "Oh, I'm ready," he assured Pete. "I've got the equipment right here, thank you Torchwood," he rushes to a computer terminal. "Slam it down and close of both universes."

"And the Daleks and Cybermen?" Rose questions. "You've got a plan?"

"They're part of the problem and that makes them part of the solution. Oh, yes," the Doctor agreed. "Well? Isn't anyone going to ask? What is it with the glasses?"

Rose thought about spoiling his fun but she just couldn't do it when he was this excited. "What is it with the glasses?"

"I can see," the Doctor exclaimed. "That's what. 'Cause we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the void, that's where the Daleks were hiding, and the Cybermen travelled through the void to get here," the Doctor explained. "And you lot, one world to another, via the void, look," the Doctor exclaimed as he put the 3D glasses on Rose. "I've been through it, do you see?"

_"Reboot in 3 minutes,"_ the computer announces.

Rose watched as tiny particles swirled around the Doctor. She reached out but knew she wouldn't be able to touch them. "Void stuff," the Doctor informed her.

"Like background radiation," Rose pointed out.

"That's it," the Doctor agreed before turning her around and showing her the others. "Look at the others," he suggested. "And the only one who hasn't been through the void, your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life," the Doctor snarked.

"Oi," Jackie protested.

The Doctor carried on before Jackie got annoyed enough to slap him. "But the Daleks lived inside the void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them, I just open the void, and reverse," the Doctor explained. "The void stuff gets sucked back inside."

"Pulling them all in," Rose finished for him.

"Pulling them all in," the Doctor agreed.

Mickey interrupted then. "Sorry, but what's the void?"

"The dead space," the Doctor explained. "Some people call it hell."

"So your sending the Daleks and Cybermen to hell?" Mickey summarised as he put his yellow button over his head. He turned to Jake. "Man, I told you he was good."

Rose turned back to the Doctor. "But it's like you said. We've all got void stuff. Me, too, 'cause we went to that parallel world. We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in," Rose reminded him as she took off the 3D glasses.

_"Reboot in two minutes,"_ the computer announced.

The Doctor wished he could send Rose away to protect her but he remembered the reaction she had when they were there last time and he would not put her in danger. "They'll be going back to Pete's world," the Doctor told her. "Hey, we should call it that. 'Pete's World'. I'm opening the void, but only on this side. They'll be safe on that side."

"And then you close it?" Pete interrupted. "For good?"

"The breach itself is soaked in void stuff," the Doctor explained. "In the end, it'll close itself. And that's it, kaput."

"And we stay on this side," Rose agrees.

Mickey interrupts then. "But you'll both get pulled in?"

The Doctor runs back to the magna clamps. "That's why I got these. We'll just have to hold on tight. Been doing it all my life," the Doctor informed them.

The building shakes as the Daleks fire on it. "The plan works. We're going," Pete ordered. "You too, all of us."

"I'm not going without her," Jackie stated.

Pete rolled his eyes. "Oh my god, we're going."

"I've had 20 years without you, so button it," Jackie demanded. "I'm not leaving her!"

Rose grabbed her mums arm and turned her mum towards her. "But you've got too."

"Well that's tough," Jackie insisted stubbornly.

"Mum," Rose tried again.

_"Reboot in one minute,"_ the computer announced.

Rose needed to get through too her mother. "I had a life with you for 64 years and I watched how happy you were to have dad back."

"Don't you mean 20?" Jackie questioned.

"It'll make sense when you get over there," Rose assured her. "Then I met the Doctor, and all the things I've seen him do for this universe and everyone in this universe. He does it alone mum," Rose explained. "But not anymore, cause now he's got me," Rose leaned forward to whisper in her mothers ear. "I won't age mum, so I can be with him forever."

While her mother was in shock she threw the yellow disc that she took from the Doctor to Mickey. The moment Rose stepped away Pete pushed the button and they disappeared out of this universe.

The Doctor gave her time to pull herself together while he got everything ready. Rose finally got her emotions under control and turned to the Doctor. "So, what can I do to help?"

_"Systems rebooted. Open access,"_ the computer announced.

The Doctor pointed to another computer terminal. "Those coordinates over there, set them all at six, and hurry up," the Doctor explained.

The computer beeped at Rose. "We've got Cybermen on the way up."

"How many floors down?" The Doctor asked as he ran over to her.

"Just one," Rose replied.

The Doctor rushed back to the terminal he was using and grinned when the computer announced. "Levers operational."

"That's more like it," Rose grinned back. "Bit of a smile. The old team."

The Doctor picked up the magna clamps and walked over to Rose. "Hope and glory. Mutt and Jeff. Shiver and shake."

"Which ones shiver?" Rose questioned with a grin.

"Oh, I'm shake," the Doctor insisted as he handed her the very heavy magna clamp. Rose mock scowled as he seemed to carry the magna clamps with ease.

The Doctor took position by his lever while Rose took position by the other lever. "Press the red button," the Doctor informed her.

Rose followed the Doctors instructions and pushed the red button.

"When it starts, just hold on tight," the Doctor explained. "Shouldn't be too bad for us, but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in void stuff. Are you ready?" The Doctor asks her as they get ready to lift the levers

"So are they," Rose nodded at the windows as several Daleks were seen heading their way.

"Let's do it," the Doctor ordered as they pushed their levers in to the upright position.

"Online," the computer informed them as they ran to their magna clamps.

A massive wind started through the room as the Daleks and Cybermen started being pulled into the void. "The breach is open," the Doctor yelled. "Into the void!"

Rose could hear the Daleks screaming as they were pulled in. Sparks came from the lever on her side, getting her attention as the computer announced. "Offline."

The lever started slipping and Rose tried to reach it without letting go of the magna clamp but it was too far away from her. "Hold on," the Doctor yelled.

Rose let go of the magna clamp and grabbed the lever as the Doctor looked on in horror. "I've got to get it upright," Rose explained as she struggled with the lever.

"Online and locked," the computer announced.

"Rose hold on!" The Doctor yelled as he prayed to any god he didn't believe in that she would make it. "Hold on!"

Rose tried so hard to hold on but she could feel herself slipping. All she could think was that it wasn't suppose to end this way, she tried so hard to reach Bad Wolf but she seems to be absent.

The Doctor was so focused on Rose, he didn't realise when all noise stopped. It wasn't until everyone froze that he realised something was going on. He looked around in confusion before seeing a golden light appearing in front of him.

"Hello, my Doctor," Bad Wolf greeted him.

The Doctor looked between Rose and the Bad Wolf in confusion. "How . . . How," the Doctor stuttered.

"I am Rose and Rose is me," Bad Wolf answered cryptically.

"Then save her," the Doctor yelled as he realised that he couldn't move.

Bad Wolf shook her head slowly. "I'm here to give you a choice?" She informed him.

"Choice, what choice?" The Doctor questioned.

"Rose wanted you to have a choice," Bad Wolf informed him. "I won't go into detail cause that's Roses story to tell. I will tell you that based on your decision now two things can happen, if I don't save Rose, she falls and Pete catches her and takes her back to his world. I close of her connection with the Time Vortex to save her life," Bad Wolf explained. "B, no two, I save her and she continues travelling with you for the rest of her life," Bad Wolf finished. "It's your choice."

The Doctor ran through everything he picked up about Rose over the last two years. "Can you tell me anything of the future about what her life would be like or if she's happy?"

"I can tell you this, I may be able to close off her connection to the Time Vortex but I can't reverse other changes that have occurred."

That just seemed to confuse the Doctor more. "And if I let her go, what would I be like?"

"The only thing I can mention is that when you regenerate, you regenerate missing her, you spend the rest of your life missing her."

The Doctor knows what happened then. When a Gallifreyan falls in love, they love that person for the rest of their lives. Time Lords are only advanced Gallifreyan and he can't pinpoint the exact point in time when he gave her his hearts but she owns them completely. He's also seen what happens when a Gallifreyan loses the one they love and he knows it's horrible, which is why the Time Lords tried to remove all emotions.

"Save her!" The Doctor demanded.

"Are you sure?" Bad Wolf asked.

The Doctor looked into her eyes that swirled with the Time Vortex, just like the untempered sanctum. But this time he stood his ground. "Save her!"

Bad Wolf grinned at him suddenly as time started up again. As Roses fingers slipped of the lever her eyes shone with golden light as a golden chord wrapped around her wrist before stretching out and wrapping around the lever.

Rose was relieved when Bad Wolf finally responded, she stopped suddenly and knew that tomorrow she would be sore. A moment later the breach folded up on itself like a piece of paper being folded and Rose dropped to the ground suddenly as Bad Wolf retreated.

The moment it was safe the Doctor ran to Rose and pulled her into a desperate hug, he stared into her eyes and grinned when he saw her beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. He never gave her time to say anything as he snogged her breathless. "I love you," the Doctor told her.

Rose grinned when he finally said the words she had waited centuries for him to say. "I love you, too."

The Doctor spun her around before snogging her again. The TARDIS nudged their bond urgently, reminding them that the authorities will be there soon. The Doctor helped Rose as she walked to the white wall. "I love you, mum," she spoke quietly before turning and taking the Doctors hand, he lead her back to the TARDIS. The moment they entered the TARDIS the Doctor took them in to the Time Vortex.

It was as the breach closed with her daughter on the other side that Jackie's memories were unlocked. Jackie finally understood why Rose choose the Doctor. Walking up to the wall Jackie laid her hand on it. "Have a great life, Rose."

**Six weeks later**

The Doctor directed her to stand on a spot on the grating. "I wasn't sure you'd be able too but the TARDIS found a way for you to say goodbye to your mother," the Doctor grinned at her as he ran around the console pushing buttons and pulling levers.

"How did you do it?" Rose questioned grinning.

The Doctor grinned back as he moved behind her. "We're burning up a sun to say goodbye," the Doctor explained. "Now use your telepathy to call your mother, I'll help."

So Rose, with help from the Doctor reached for her mother and called. She felt it when her mother was getting closer. The Doctor flipped a switch and Rose opened her eyes to find herself on a beach facing her mother.

"Where are you?" Jackie called.

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor informed her as tears fell down Roses cheeks. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection. We're in orbit around a supernova, we're burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

Jackie started crying as well. "You look like a ghost," she complained as she moved closer to them

"Hold on," the Doctor calls as he points the sonic at the console and the image of Rose and the Doctor brightened till they looked like they were standing on the beach.

"Can l . . ." Jackie asked as she put her hand near Roses face.

"We're still just an image, mum," Rose informed her as she got her emotions sorted out. "No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "The whole thing would fracture, two universes would collapse."

"So?" Jackie dismissed only half serious.

The Doctor looked around. "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?"

"We're in Norway," Jackie informed them.

The Doctor nodded as he remembered what he saw in Roses memories. "Norway, right."

"About 50 miles out of Bergen," Jackie continued. "It's called Darlig Ulv Stranden. Translates as Bad Wolf bay."

"How long have we got?" Jackie asks.

"About two minutes," the Doctor informed her.

Jackie laughed quietly. "There's so much I want to say."

Rose looked over to the others by the car. "You've still got Mickey and Pete I see."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed as a grin spread on her face. "Pete and I got remarried and now there's four of us," Jackie let her know. "Me, Pete, Mickey and the baby."

"Your pregnant?" Rose exclaimed happily through her tears.

Jackie nodded her head. "I'm three months gone. More Tyler's on the way."

"There's still a Torchwood on this planet," Jackie explained. "Pete runs the show now."

The Doctor grows serious then. "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead, but here you are," the Doctor pointed out. "Living a life, day after day."

"Am I ever going to see you again?" Jackie cried.

"You can't," Rose answered on a sob.

Jackie tried to calm down a bit. "What are you going to do?"

"We've got the TARDIS," Rose reminded her. "Same adventures."

"Just the two of you?" Jackie questions. Rose and the Doctor nods simultaneously. "Doctor," Jackie called out as she pointed her finger at him. "You take care of my little girl," she warned him. "Or I will find a way to cross the universes to slap you."

The Doctor swallowed as he nodded quickly. "I promise Jackie, I'll look after her."

It was then that Jackie noticed the ring on her finger. "Your married to him!"

Rose looked at the ring then back to her mother laughing softly. "No, we're in engaged," Rose explained.

The TARDIS beeped at them. "We only have a few seconds left," the Doctor told her gently.

"Oh!" Jackie exclaimed. "I love you."

"I love you too, mum," Rose cried as her mother disappeared and she found themselves back in the console room.

Rose turned around and found herself in the Doctors arms. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her as he sent comforting thoughts to her. They stood like that for a while before the Doctor looked up and noticed something that wasn't suppose to be there. "What?"

Rose looked up and noticing the Doctor looking by the doors. Turning around she noticed a bride standing with her back to them. "What!"

On hearing them the bride turned around and gasped. "What?" The Doctor repeated.

"Who are you?" The bride demanded. "Where am I?"

Rose smirked as the Doctor repeated himself. "What?"

"What the hell is this place?" The bride yelled.

"What?" The Doctor seemed to be in shock.


	25. Interlude - just after the war

Once they were in the vortex the Doctor insisted on checking Rose out in the med bay. He kept a steady stream of babble going while he checked Roses wrist and made sure there wasn't anything else wrong with her.

Rose rolled her eyes, she knew that he was just trying to put off the talk they need to have. Rose placed her hand on his cheek to get his attention. "Doctor, we need to talk."

The Doctors babble stopped suddenly as his smile dropped of his face. Nodding, he let Rose take his hand and lead him to the library. Rose indicated for him to sit down, which he did, while she paced in front of the love seat.

Once she finally managed to get her thoughts under control she turned and looked at him. "I'm 346 years old, well my mind is."

The Doctor jumped up from the couch suddenly as he exclaimed. "Your human."

Rose stopped him before he said anything else. "I'll start from the beginning," Rose assured him.

She went to say something else when a golden form appeared next to her. "Perhaps I can help explain," Bad Wolf suggested. The Doctor sat back down in confusion as he looked between Bad Wolf, who looks just like Rose but with a golden light surrounding her, and Rose who doesn't look surprised to see her. "That passage you found and showed to Rose the other day was correct," Bad Wolf stated. "That's where our story starts. I made a deal with Rasslion cause, believe it or not the others were mean to him, kept telling him that he'll never travel through time. I felt sorry for him and I needed help," Bad Wolf shrugged.

"You did give us the ability to regenerate," the Doctor realised.

Bad Wolf nodded. "And time travel," Bad Wolf agreed. "On the one condition that the Time Lords would travel through time and fix time lines, those that should never have been messed with."

"But the Time Lords always said that we're suppose to observe only," the Doctor questioned, confused.

"Yes," Bad Wolf agreed. "Rasslion became power hungry, and yes Time Lords suffer from that affliction too. He never told them about our deal and I grew more and more angry with him but there was nothing I could do," here Bad Wolf looked directly at him. "Until an eight year old child looked into the Untempered Schism, and dared to defy them."

The Doctor looked back at that time in his life. He had always felt different than everyone else. He felt more, he questioned more, he did as Bad Wolf explained, he defied what he had been raised to believe. "But I ran away."

Bad Wolf and Rose watched him as he was taken back to that time. "You were just a boy, but your wrong in thinking that you ran away from me," the Doctor looked at her sharply. "You ran away from what they wanted from you."

The Doctor thought over what she said. "Your right, all this time I thought that I was running from what you wanted me to do, but I was running away from what they wanted or didn't want me to do. I knew from the start that standing back and doing nothing was wrong."

Bad Wolf grinned at his brilliance. "But once I had chosen you as my champion I saw something in your distant time line that I didn't like," the Doctor went to ask what it was but she stopped him and continued. "I saw a devastating war and before you ask the war would've happened no matter if I chose you as my champion or not. I was worried about what the war would make you do, of who you would become so looked everywhere. All over the universe, through time and space to find one person, any being that could turn you back into the champion I knew you could be. I was about to give up hope when I saw a small bright light in the time lines, glowing at me brighter than all the rest," Bad Wolf turned and looked at Rose.

Rose raised her brow. "You found me."

"Yes," Bad Wolf agreed. "Out of all the beings to ever exist, you were the only one that was bright enough to lead him out of the darkness that his mind lost himself in. But I also saw that you were human and what would become of him once he lost you so I took steps to stop that from happening."

"So you made it so I could live longer," Rose finished.

Bad Wolf agreed as she turned back to the Doctor who sat gapping at them. "From the moment of her birth I had been injecting tiny amounts of the vortex in her all to change her and made sure that she met all your past selves."

As Bad Wolf stopped talking, memories that the Doctor had buried from before the war overwhelmed his mind and he saw all the times his past regenerations had met her and how they helped each other. "You sent her back in time, to my third self," the Doctor realised.

"Yes," Bad Wolf agreed. "I made sure that you both met when you needed help the most. Then the war happened."

"Then why didn't you stop the war?" The Doctor yelled suddenly and he stood up to face Bad Wolf. "Why didn't you stop it?" the Doctor questioned quietly as all the fight went out of him. Rose sat him back down on the love seat then sat next to him and wrapped him in a hug.

Bad Wolf continued, more subdued. "I tried," she explained as the Doctor looked back at her sharply. "The one thing I can't control is the choices people make. I gave the Time Lords and Daleks every opportunity to change their course but their the stubbornness beings I have ever encountered," Bad Wolf complained.

The Doctor grinned quickly at that remark knowing exactly what she means. He sent Rose a grin to let her know that he was alright as Bad Wolf continued.

"The only thing I could do was manage the fall out and ensure that the rest of the universe survived. Then you met Rose," Bad Wolf finished as she looked to Rose.

Rose turned to the Doctor then. "The first time I met you I didn't realise that I had met you before. Like with you and the time war, I went through things that I pushed all the memories of meeting you to the back of my mind."

"So you didn't know me?" The Doctor questioned.

"The first time, no," at the Doctors confused look Rose elaborated. "The first time I met you, we went on adventures and traveled together for about two years before Canary Wharf happened."

"What happened?" The Doctor asked hesitantly.

Rose breathed deeply as she thought back to that time. "We were separated. I couldn't hold on to the lever and I slipped and fell towards the void but Pete came and caught me and took me back to the other universe. Bad Wolf had just enough time to close off my connection to the vortex before it closed," Rose felt that something was missing so she looked to Bad Wolf. The Doctor followed her look.

"There are somethings that haven't happened yet," Bad Wolf explained. "Just say that you do met again when the multiverse is threatened but you were separated again."

Accepting that Rose turned back to the Doctor. "I watched my mother and Pete fall in love all over again. I watched them have a charming baby boy and raise him to be a wonderful young man. Then I watched him age and have his own family and I watched him pass on and his family grow old all while I never aged a day. By that stage I had to stay hidden so people didn't know. I would still help when needed but I always worked alone."

It was the Doctors turn to comfort her as she thought about all those years watching those she lived grow old while she never did. "But I still don't understand how you could've stopped ageing?"

"That was because of me," Bad Wolf explained. "When Rose absorbed the time vortex to save your life I took that opportunity to start her process of changing. I never anticipated someone trying to seperate you."

"So you noticed the timelines being rearranged," the Doctor realised.

Bad Wolf agreed. "Yes, last time I was so focused on Rose and you that I never anticipated someone else manipulating things."

"You've mentioned last time, a few times," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose continued. "Like I said. I was 346 years old and running from Sontarans when a vortex opened up in front of me and I fell through."

"Someone had managed to capture all your regenerations," Bad Wolf explained. "Forcing me to come to help you. Those same people managed to hold me only long enough to use my power to bring Rose through from the other universe. The moment she was through they wounded her fatally and they knew that the one thing I couldn't stand by and watch was seeing my heart dying."

"Your heart," the Doctor questioned confusedly.

Bad Wolf nodded. "You may be my champion but Rose is my heart."

Rose took the story back up then. "We managed, between us to save ourselves and your regenerations as well as ensuring those that caught us to begin with would never be able to again," Rose finished. "Once all your regenerations had been returned to their correct time lines, Bad Wolf gave me the choice to either continue travelling with you or going back and prevent us from ever being separated."

The Doctors mind was churning with all that he had been told. "I have millions of questions as you know but the ones I would like answered now would be. You knew what would happen on our adventures? Were we as close in the last time line as we are in this time line?"

"Yes I knew what would happen in most of our adventures but if I changed things too much I could damage the time line but I tried to save as many people as I could. I saved Jabe, the tree from burning, I couldn't save Gwyneth but I saved Mr Sneed. The I saved the aide from the Slitheen. Last time I touched the Dalek in Van Statten's museum and he went on a killing rampage before dying but this time I stopped his suffering the only way I could without killing anyone. I saved my father last time but this time I let Time continue with his death. I saved Suki from turning into a frozen worker but I couldn't save you from dying. I was told that's it's a fixed point and can't be changed."

The Doctor hugged her again as he stopped her. "I know you would've saved as many people as you could, that's just who you are. But what about ourselves?"

Rose started fidgeting, showing how nervous she was. "I would've liked to have a proper relationship with you and Jack always complained about the sexual tension in the TARDIS. The truth was that I was afraid to cross that line in case you decided to drop me off back on Earth and leave me alone," Rose confessed.

"So why did you decide to cross that line now?" The Doctor questioned.

"It just sort off," Rose hesitated. "It just sort of happened," Rose rushed to explain before the Doctor could say anything. "The last time you were so angry and when I first started travelling with you, I was afraid of you at times cause you were so angry. Then I got to know you and I fell in love with you, then you changed on me," Rose laughed softly at her reaction back then. "I thought you were a Slitheen."

The Doctor gaped at her. "You thought that skinny old me, was a Slitheen?"

Rose shrugged. "You never told me about regeneration and I'd only seen the Slitheen take on someone else's body, how was I to know. Then the Sycorax showed up and you defeated them the only way you can and it confirmed to me that you were the same person." Rose lost her smile as she thought about the adventures they had after then. "But then you started pushing me away. You would hug me longer then we use and you seemed a lot cuddlier but as things looked like they might be moving forward you would push me away and you had no idea what that did to me."

The Doctor hesitated before pulling her into his arms and comforting her. "I could say that even now I have times where I want to run away because what I feel for you is scary to me. We were always told from the moment we're born that emotions can destroy and though I liked to ignore the rules most of the time, it's hard to put aside something you've been told since birth. I told you how Gallifreyan's as a whole, were very possessive and a lot of people lost their lives cause of it. The Time Lords thought it was beneath us like everything else so they tried to breed it out of us. What helped me now was that you urged me to open up and I had never opened up like that before."

"I only wanted to get to know you better," Rose explained. "I never expected our relationship to progress the way it did, I only wanted to maybe relieve some of your burden."

Rose went to move away but the Doctor stopped her and raised her head til she was looking in his eyes. "I'm not complaining, the fact is that I cared for all my companions but your the only one that I've ever even considered having a relationship with. Out of all the people that I've travelled with, you were the only one that seems to take to travelling through time and space. Do, do you regret it?" The Doctor questioned.

"Of course not," Rose exclaimed. "I just hope you don't think that I pushed you into anything."

"Would you let me check you over?" The Doctor asks. "I assume that now that I know the truth that the TARDIS will let me actually see the results. The TARDIS flashed her lights in agreement and at Roses nod he lead her to the med bay.

Bad Wolf grinned as they disappeared out the doors. "Well we did it old friend," she addressed the TARDIS. "Now do me a favour and make sure nothing disturbs them while they heal. The TARDIS sent her agreement before Bad Wolf finally dissolved into the vortex to continue watching from a distance.

A few hours later and the Doctor was studying all the results he gathered from Rose when she walked up to him. "How about you take me to mums flat a few days after Canary Wharf so I can start packing up her things while your studying the results."

"Ok," they Doctor agreed as he ran to the console room and sent the TARDIS to land in the living room. "Let me know if you need any help," the Doctor informed her as he kissed her quickly before running back to the med bay.

Rose rolled her eyes as she headed out to start cleaning up the flat.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Hours later the Doctor looked up to realise that he hadn't heard from Rose since he dropped into her mothers flat. Wandering out the doors and into the flat he noticed that Rose was staring at a piece of paper. "What ya found?"

Rose was startled out of her thoughts. "This was slipped under the door. It's a list of people that have disappeared, they just want to know who's been killed. My mums name is on here and so is mine."

The Doctor sat next to her and took her hand as he read over the list. "I could take your name off if you like."

The Doctor was surprised by her next words. "No," Rose disagreed. "I only came home to see mum and now she's not here, all my other friends have drifted away. I think it's better, considering I'm not ageing that we take it for what it is and put me down as dead."

After going over what Rose said he had to agree. "Ok but I can try and at least offer you a goodbye to your mother," the Doctor explained as he helped her to carry things that she wanted to keep into a room that the TARDIS made for her. "I've set the TARDIS to see if she can find a small gap left."

"That would be great," Rose agreed as she looked at what was left behind. "The rest they could give to charities. I've got everything that means something to me personally and all the alien artefacts that I brought back for mum. Don't want someone who doesn't know about them to get a hold of them."

Agreeing, the Doctor sent them into the time vortex before leading Rose to the library and sitting down before pulling her onto his lap so they could snuggle. "I went through all the test results and thought you might like to know the results."

Rose stiffened slightly. "Just tell me."

"Well, from what I could tell your DNAs a cross between my TNA and the human DNA," the Doctor explained. "What makes Gallifreyan's different from humans is the obvious, two hearts, respiratory bypass system and stronger, faster, larger mind and off course telepathy," the Doctor explained.

"So not vain at all," Rose joked.

The Doctor sent her a mock glare before continuing. "What makes a Time Lord different from a normal Gallifreyan is the fact that we have a tiny strand of the time vortex running through us. That enables us to see time lines and know what are fixed points and what aren't. Your DNA, though still human, has a bit of the time vortex running through it. That's what allows us to regenerate but for you it just heals anything that doesn't kill you immediately. When I say immediately I mean 0.01 seconds or you will heal."

"So it's that same bit of the vortex that, instead off letting my cells slowly decay like a normal humans replicates them perfectly every time, enabling me to live for a very long time," Rose summarised.

"In short, yes," the Doctor agreed being unable to hold back his grin any more. He spent the rest of the night showing her how thankful he is that she choose to change the past so they have a future together.


End file.
